Zane Gbangbola: Lewes council first to support new landfill law

A Sussex council has become the first local authority to back a proposed new law to ensure greater transparency over contaminated land.

Zane's Law is named after seven-year-old Zane Gbangbola, whose parents say was killed by gas from landfill.

Measures include requiring councils to keep public registers of contaminated sites.

Lewes District Council unanimously passed a motion in support of the new law on Monday.

The motion was proposed by Green councillor Imogen Makepeace.

During the meeting, which was attended by Zane's father, Kye Gbangbola, she paid tribute to the "extraordinary courage" of his parents "who are still fighting for the full truth of what happened to their beloved son".

She added that the proposed law "would go a long way towards preventing such a tragedy happening to anyone else".

The Justice Secretary agreed on Tuesday to discuss the case with Leeds East MP Richard Burgon, who has been campaigning for an independent inquiry.

Mr Burgon told the House of Commons that Zane's parents were watching proceedings from the public gallery and asked for an independent panel inquiry to be established.

In response, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk suggested the two MPs speak and "see what further steps can properly be taken in this difficult case".

Mr Gbangbola and Zane's mother, Nicole Lawler have said when they bought their Chertsey house no environmental searches identified that the field behind the property was a former landfill site.

They said this only came to light after their son died following the flooding of the River Thames in 2014.

An inquest into Zane's death concluded he was killed by carbon monoxide from a petrol pump used to clear floodwater from his home in Thameside, Surrey, but Mr Gbangbola and Ms Lawler say the petrol pump was not used.

The family have said toxic hydrogen cyanide gas from the tip killed Zane and left his father paralysed in the same incident.

They have accessed public health documents that stated firefighters found hydrogen cyanide in their home, but no carbon monoxide.

A spokesman for the coroner said an "independent, full, frank and fearless inquest" was concluded in September 2016.

In a statement, Zane's parents said his life was "stolen when a deadly menace invaded his home".

"Zane's Law is a commitment to the wellbeing of our families, our neighbours, and our future generations," they said.

"It is brilliant there are decent councils that care about the communities they serve - well done Lewes District Council in this pioneering drive for Zane's Law".

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