DEFRA replies to the Council's letter about the Zane Gbangbola tragedy
We are all disappointed with the contents of the response
The letter originally sent to the Secretary of State, unanimously agree by Spelthorne Borough Council, call for a full enquiry
The reply reads as follows:
Thank you for your letter of 25 September to the Secretary of State for the Home Department on behalf of Spelthorne Borough Council, about the death of Zane Gbangbola. I am replying as the Minister esponsible for policy on flooding.
I have previously corresponded with the Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP on this tragic case and would again like to express my personal condolences to Zane's parents.
The position remains as it was when I wrote to Kwasi on 23 April 2020 with regards to next steps. If Zane's parents believe that there is new evidence available, they should consider making an application to the ttorney General asking her to apply to the High Court to quash the inquest and order a fresh coroner investigation.
The High Court would take this course of action if it believed that it would be in the interests of justice. An application can be made to the Attorney General's Office at any time after a coroner's inquest has concluded. Whilst Zane's parents should seek their own independent legal advice on this, further information is available from the Attorney General's Office website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/attorney-generals-office/about
I believe that this remains the proper process to follow in this case. I appreciate that this will come as a disappointment, but it is only right that all other legal processes should be exhausted before we can consider an Inquiry.
Rebecca Rowe, MP
