WIREDGOV

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is carrying out an investigation relating to the death of a child in north London more than a decade ago.

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) made a referral to the IPCC in June 2016 after the remains of a child, Kyzer Gayle, were found at a house in West Hendon.

A decision was initially made to manage an investigation carried out by the MPS, looking at previous contact between officers and the dead child’s family, and whether there were any missed opportunities to investigate his whereabouts.

However, after receiving additional information gathered for a serious case review into the child’s death, we reviewed the mode of investigation and decided to re-determine this to an independent investigation undertaken by IPCC investigators. This is a complex case spanning more than a decade, and we now know Kyzer's family had significant contact, not just with the police, but also with other agencies.

While we continue to receive and review relevant documentation from the MPS, the independent investigation is currently pended (including the drafting of a terms of reference and the identification of lines of enquiry) until after we receive the completed serious case review. The investigation is likely to look at whether there were any failures to protect the child before his death or make enquiries regarding his whereabouts prior to his body being found.