Police Leave Message On M9 Crash Victim's Phone

Police Scotland has apologised for leaving a voicemail message on a woman's phone 10 days after she died.

The force has already faced strong criticism surrounding the death of Lamara Bell, who lay inside a crashed car beside her dead boyfriend for three days .

The crash had been reported to police at the time, but no one turned up because it was not logged by the officer who took the call.

MIss Bell was found alive but subsequently died from her injuries.

According to her family, she had suffered kidney damage due to dehydration.

Now it has emerged that on 21 July - 10 days after her death - a police constable called her mobile phone and left a message, apparently looking for her sister.

Police are still in possession of Lamara's phone, pending enquiries into the circumstances of her death, and so the voicemail message has not yet been heard by her family.

Lamara's brother Mark posted a statement on Facebook criticising the error.

He wrote: "So my Dad had the Chief Constable of Falkirk police at the house this morning... they were there to inform him that one of their constables had phoned my sister's phone on 21st July, 10 days after she died.

"They told my Dad this constable left a voicemail on her mobile saying: 'Lamara we are looking to speak to your sister Rebecca if you have seen her can you give us a call back' are you kidding me on? Are the police for real!!!

"They come to apologise in advance for when my Mum and Dad hear this voicemail for themselves... Useless b********!!"

Chief Superintendent John Hawkins, Forth Valley Divisional Commander, said: "Once again I want to offer Police Scotland’s condolences to the family.

"I am deeply disappointed that we have shown such a lack of awareness given all the briefings put in place within Forth Valley area and the media coverage reflecting the level of shock felt across the country.

"We clearly regret having caused any further upset to them.

"I have given all the details to the family of why the call was made and given my, and the Chief Constable’s sincere apologies on behalf of the force."

Miss Bell, a mother of two, was in a Renault Clio with her partner, 28 year-old John Yuill, when it left the M9 at a junction near Bannockburn.

Police issued a missing persons appeal in an effort to trace the pair, both from Falkirk, but failed to follow up a phone call from a member of the public who had spotted the vehicle on the day it crashed.

It was only three days later that they went to the car and found her still alive.

Police Scotland has apologised, stating that the call from the member of the public was not entered into its systems.

The error is being investigated by Scotland's police investigations review commissioner and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMIC) has launched a review of police call handling.

Police Scotland's chief constable Sir Stephen House has rejected widespread calls for his resignation over the affair.