The heartbroken mother of a schoolboy who died after being engulfed in flames has welcomed an apology from police chiefs who admitted a catalogue of errors in their handling of the tragedy.
However, Preston Flores’ family said they would not rest until they had secured a full inquiry into the death of the youngster.
Politicians said police deserved credit for acknowledging their blunders – but stressed lessons had to be learned to prevent any other families from facing a similar ordeal in future.
Seven-year-old Preston was horrifically burned on April 18 last year while playing with friends in Aberdeen’s Bedford Avenue.
The accident was alleged to have involved a petrol can left unattended in the back of a council van.
Local residents described seeing the boy running up the street in flames while others desperately tried to put out the fire.
He was rushed by air ambulance to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary but died on April 22 having suffered 80% burns to his body.
His family have long alleged a series of failings by the police into the handling of the boy’s death
Now an official police complaints investigation, instigated by Preston’s grandmother Fiona Will in November, has concluded the force made five key errors.
And almost a year on from the tragedy, police chiefs have written to the family apologising for the failings.
Last night Preston’s mother Luisza Flores, 34, welcomed the apology – but said they would continue pushing for a fatal accident inquiry.
She added: “We are happy with what they’ve said but will be keeping an eye on it.”
Police admitted their response had fallen short in a number of ways, including failing to request a thorough clean-up of the street where Preston was burned and a decision to issue a press statement about his death before all relatives had been informed.
A police spokesman said: “Police Scotland received a number of complaints from the family of Preston Flores following his death on April 22 last year.
“A detailed investigation was carried out into these complaints and a thorough response was provided to the family which included the known circumstances around how Preston died.”
Preston’s dad Keith Will, 33, said: “My previous little boy suffered the most horrific, agonising death imaginable.
“It should never have happened, yet we still do not have all the answers we need and continue to push for a full-scale public inquiry.
“We were victims too and were furious and disgusted by the way the police treated us. We felt like it would be different if we were from a posh area.”
Mrs Will said: “The outcome is a small and partial victory but it is no way enough.
“We hope the police have learned that all members of the public deserve a good service and one that includes respect and compassion.”
North-east MSP Richard Baker said: “The critical thing is that if an apology is coming from the police then they will also need to ensure that no other family has to go through this ordeal.
“I am certainly aware that the family still has concerns about the case and how it has been handled. It’s absolutely vital that the police will now work constructively with them but also the Crown Office will too.”
City councillor Martin Greig, who used to sit on the Grampian Joint Police Board, said: “It is right that public authorities are open to scrutiny and questions. This has been a very tragic case and it would appear that lessons have been learned – hopefully this will be of some comfort, that improvements will be made in the future.”
Aberdeen City Council declined to comment, saying the matter was subject to potential legal action.
What the police have apologised for
Police chiefs have admitted five errors in their handling of the Preston Flores case.
They have said sorry to the family for the fact that police liaison officers did not turn up at the Edinburgh hospital to support them.
The force also apologised for telling Preston’s mother, who had called asking for an urgent police escort for her parents, to phone back the next day.
Officers failed to inform the boy’s loved ones that a family statement, pre-prepared before Preston’s death, was being released to media immediately afterwards – when they were concerned that relatives had not been informed.
They have also apologised for failing to ensure Aberdeen City Council workers thoroughly cleaned the spot where the boy was horrifically burned – and for one officer failing to follow up a query from the family into Preston’s death.
Detective chief inspector Iain Smith wrote to Preston’s grandmother Fiona Will in an effort to answer the queries in detail.
In the case of the liason officer not meeting Preston’s parents at in Edinburgh he agreed “the response was not appropriate in the circumstances.”