Police told to probe inquest complaints over death of Liam Cole, 12 (From York Press)
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Police told to probe inquest complaints over death of Liam Cole, 12
9:50am Saturday 21st July 2012 in News
By Mike Laycock, Chief reporter
POLICE have been told to investigate a complaint about their inquiries into the death of a York schoolboy who was found hanging in his bedroom.
Mike Wilson, the father of 12-year-old Liam Cole, who died in January last year at his home in Chapelfields, has claimed that North Yorkshire Police’s investigation into the circumstances leading up to Liam’s death was not robust, and he has also complained about officers’ conduct.
The force originally sought to dispense with the complaint, claiming it was an abuse of procedure because it believed Mr Wilson was using the police complaints’ processs to progress a complaint against the Coroner’s findings at an inquest.
But now the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has turned down the request for dispensation, telling Mr Wilson’s solicitor: “You have made it clear in your representations on your client’s behalf that he accepts the coroner’s verdict but wishes to complain aboiut the quality of the police investigation into his son’s death and the conduct of the officers involved. This means that the complaint is not an abuse of procedure...
“This means that North Yorkshire Police should investigate your client’s complaint or attempt to locally resolve it with his consent.”
A spokesman for the force confirmed that a complaint had been received by the Force’s Professional Standards Department. “An investigation is currently under way, therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time,” he said.
The inquest was told last June that Liam, a pupil at York High School , was found hanging from the top of a cabin bunk bed.
York Coroner Donald Coverdale said Liam had left a note, the contents of which were consistent with someone intending to take his life, and he recorded a verdict of suicide.
He said he was not prepared to divulge the contents of a personal note addressed to his mother, saying the youngster would not have wanted this to happen in a public arena.
