Mother's anger over 999 bungle

Jamie's mother said she was left angry by the police failings

The mother of a teenager who died after he plunged into a scrap yard has said she is angry over a bungled police response to calls for help.

Jamie Hatfield, 18, died after falling into a metal scrap yard just off Leach Lane, in Mexborough, South Yorkshire.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said the response was botched and South Yorkshire Police acknowledged "failures."

Jamie's mother, Karen Pearsall, said she was "very bitter".

Ms Pearsall said: "It does make you bitter, it's made me very bitter - knowing what's happened and knowing that people are responsible in a way for not turning up, for not actually doing their jobs to their full potential. That does put a lot of anger inside me."

She said the family's grief had been compounded by the circumstances of her son's death.

"Jamie's death shouldn't have happened, we know it shouldn't have happened.

"I just feel that, I wouldn't want anybody to go through the pain I've gone through and even as a family, what we've all gone through.

"I wouldn't wish that on anybody."

We accept on this occasion that we didn't do as well as we could have Bob Dyson, South Yorkshire Police

Mr Hatfield had been on a night out when he fell from Leach Lane into the scrap yard on 28 July, 2006. His body was found the next morning by the owner of the scrap yard.

South Yorkshire Police received a 999 call just after midnight from someone who had seen him fall. A further call was made by the same person at 1232 BST.

The IPCC investigation found the initial call handler failed to take telephone contact details for the caller, recorded incorrect details of the incident location and failed to correctly assess the seriousness of the incident.

Bob Dyson, South Yorkshire Police deputy chief constable, said: "We acknowledge we failed to interpret the information given to us and deal with it accordingly.

"South Yorkshire Police deals effectively and successfully with an average of 1,500 calls from members of the public every day.

"We accept on this occasion that we didn't do as well as we could have and we extend our sincere sympathies to Mr Hatfield's family and friends."