THE father of a man who died after being crushed to death in a cement mixer has pledged his fight will continue to win justice for his son.
The comments from Les Balkwell come after five people were arrested in connection with the investigation into the death of lorry driver Lee Balkwell, who was found dead trapped in a cement mixer ten years ago.
Lee, a 33-year-old former Essex county junior golfer from Hornchurch, died when he apparently became trapped between the drum and chassis while cleaning out a cement mixer in the early hours of July 18, 2002, at Baldwin's Farm in Upminster.
Earlier this month officers from the Kent and Essex Police Serious Crime Directorate arrested a 43-year-old man from Upminster on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter and perverting the course of justice and perjury.
A 66-year-old man, a 63-year-old woman and another woman, aged 49 from Upminster, were also arrested for perverting the course of justice and perjury, as was another man aged 38 from Southend.
The arrests were made by officers working under the direction of Det Chief Supt Lee Catling who has been investigating the circumstances leading up to Mr Balkwell's death since August 2010.
Les, who has campaigned for the past decade for a proper investigation, said: "This isn't over.
"We are taking this as high as it can go – including to the Home Secretary.
"I have no doubt the truth will out and justice for Lee will be done."
An inquest in 2008 returned a verdict of unlawful killing through gross negligence.
In January this year a report from the IPCC said police made crucial mistakes in a "seriously flawed" investigation into the death of Mr Balkwell.
In the report, IPCC Commissioner Rachel Cerfontyne said: "We have found that Mr Balkwell's belief that the original investigation into Lee Balkwell's death was inadequate was well founded.
"In our view it was seriously flawed. From the outset it was mired in the assumption that what had happened to Lee Balkwell was a tragic industrial accident."
All five people have been released on police bail until mid-January 2013, pending further enquiries.
