Is the Zane Gbangbola case to be re-examined?

24 Sep 2021
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Young Zane, aged just 7 years old, lost his life as a result of inhaling toxic fumes at the family home during heavy flooding in 2014. A Coroner's verdict in 2016 ruled the boy had been poisoned by carbon monoxide poisoning caused through a petrol powered pump used at the time to clear floodwater from out of their home. This judgement however has been disputed by the family and its supporters who have consistently claimed that hydrogen cyanide gas was present. This they say was something that had seeped into their home during the flooding.

Until now repeated attempts to have the case revisited have failed, despite the case often making national news headlines. As recently as late last year Spelthorne Council passed a motion, seconded by Cllr Chris Bateson and passed unanimously, to write again to the Home Secretary demanding that the case be re opened. This request was declined so once again we had reached a position of stalemate.


However very recently the Mail on Sunday published an article claiming they had been supplied with new evidence that cast doubt over the Coroner's findings. The paper claimed that they were in receipt of more evidence that indeed hydrogen cyanide gas was present. The new administration running the Council have wasted no time in moving that tests be carried out on a former landfill site close to Zane's home in a concerted effort to get to the bottom of this long and protracted case.

Commenting Cllr Chris Bateson said "Issues surrounding this case and unanswered questions have gone on far too long without satisfactory answers. Zane's family have long felt they are victims of injustice and have had to fight a system they felt has not delivered them justice. They have suffered the pain and grief of losing a son and in the process have had to continue to fight to get to the truth regarding their son's unnecessary death. These latest developments I think mark a turning point in the application of yet further pressure in getting a full review of this whole case, something the Home Secretary has the power to grant. Only by granting this for the family can they feel that they can obtain the absolute truth about what happened and then and only then ultimate closure."

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