Environment Secretary Liz Truss has ordered for urgent tests to be carried out on a landfill site in Chertsey, for any toxins which could have led to the death of a seven-year-old boy in last year’s winter floods.
Zane Gbangbola’s parents Kye, 48, and Nicole Lawler, 37, believe he was killed by hydrogen cyanide released through contaminated floodwater which entered their Chertsey home during the February floods last year.
A 16,000-signature petition to open a public debate into his death was dismissed by Spelthorne Borough Council in December so as to not to "prejudge a forthcoming inquest".
But Ms Truss has since written to Environment Agency (EA) chief executive Paul Leinster, as well as Spelthorne MP Kwasi Kwarteng, formally asking for the land to be tested and for the EA to "take a number of actions".
'Poor communication'
In a letter to Mr Kwarteng, she wrote: “As a parent I am extremely saddened to hear in our recent meeting more details about this tragic case.....
To read the full article click here