The Green Party has joined calls for an independent panel inquiry into the death of seven-year-old Zane Gbangbola, who died in 2014 after his home in Surrey was flooded.
Zane’s family believes he was killed by hydrogen cyanide carried by floodwater from a nearby landfill site, despite the coroner ruling his death was caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.
The family was denied legal aid and is now supporting the Public Authority (Accountability) Bill, dubbed the ‘Hillsborough Law’ [1], which will be presented to parliament tomorrow, on March 29.
Caroline Lucas MP, Green Party co-leader, is co-sponsoring the bill.
Zane’s parents Kye Gbangbola and Nicole Lawler are requesting an independent panel of inquiry, as in the Hillsborough inquest, to review all documentation around Zane’s death. More than 30,000 people have signed a petition [2] to support their call.
Jonathan Bartley, Green Party co-leader, met Kye and Nicole earlier this month.
Bartley said:
“I was struck by Kye and Nicole’s determination and resilience in terrible circumstances. They’ve shown enormous courage to continue fighting for justice in the face of a huge bureaucratic machine and vested interests weighted against them.
“I fully support their call for an inquiry and tomorrow we’ll take an important step forward with this bill reaching parliament. It’s crucial there’s a level playing field for families seeking answers about their loved ones’ deaths.
“The implications of Zane’s death are enormous, not just for his family, but potentially for everyone who lives near a landfill site, particularly as many of these sites are unrecorded. The authorities involved in the investigation must be accountable so we can make sure the truth emerges and that a tragedy like this never happens again.”
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