Family of missing OAP Janet McKay not critical of police probe

The son of Glasgow pensioner Janet McKay has said her family has no criticisms to make of the police investigation into her disappearance.

A body believed to be that of the 88-year-old, who had dementia, was found in Clydebank on Thursday.

Police Scotland later apologised to her relatives after it emerged information about a possible sighting last Friday was not passed on to the inquiry team.

The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner is looking at the case.

Speaking after details of the sighting emerged, Mrs McKay's son, George McKay, told BBC Scotland: "We've been very happy with the way the police have dealt with it - they've been very supportive to us.

"Any wider issues are a matter for Police Scotland but we have no criticisms to make of them."

In a statement issued through police, the family later said they were "devastated" and that their "dear mother" would be "sadly missed by everyone who knew her".

They added: "We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the support from the many officers involved in the search to locate our mother. We have been constantly updated on the progress of the investigation throughout."

Police Scotland said it would act immediately on any recommendations made by the PIRC.

Mrs McKay was last seen by her neighbours in the Knightswood area of Glasgow on Wednesday 16 September.

Only in recent days was it established that she had boarded a bus and had been recorded by CCTV cameras in the Clydebank area on the day of her disappearance.

Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Mawson from Police Scotland said: "During the course of this investigation into Janet's disappearance, a member of the public provided us with information of a possible sighting of Janet.

"This information was not passed to any of our call handling centres, nor to the inquiry team.

"Further information about this sighting was received at Police Scotland the following Tuesday, that's the 22 September. That was received at the call handling centre and it was immediately passed to the inquiry team."

He added: "Janet's body was then discovered after further extensive searches. I wish to offer my apologises on behalf of the service to Janet's family for any distress caused at the difficult time.""

The matter has been referred to the PIRC by both Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

The Scottish Police Authority, which providers oversight of police in Scotland, said it was "monitoring" the investigation.

ACC Mawson added: "We will take immediate action on any early learning identified by the PIRC as a result of their investigation."

The latest incident follows a review of Police Scotland's procedures following the deaths of John Yuill and Lamara Bell, who lay undiscovered next to the M9 near Stirling for days despite a sighting of their crashed car being reported to a police control room.

Chief Constable Sir Stephen House announced last month that he will stand down earlier than expected following sustained public and political criticism over apparent call-centre failings, and controversies over stop-and-search and armed police patrols.

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson told BBC Scotland it was important to establish "all of the facts" relating to the matter.

Speaking on the Good Morning Scotland programme, he said: "I think it's important that we allow the investigation by the PIRC to be taken forward and we shouldn't prejudice that by trying to pre-empt any of the matters around this particular incident."

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson told BBC Scotland it was important to establish "all of the facts" relating to the matter.

Speaking on the Good Morning Scotland programme, he said: "I think it's important that we allow the investigation by the PIRC to be taken forward and we shouldn't prejudice that by trying to pre-empt any of the matters around this particular incident."

Scottish Labour's justice spokesman Graeme Pearson said: "Coming so soon after the police failings around the M9 tragedy, it is very concerning that once again vital information from the public has not been passed on.

"The involvement of the PIRC is welcome, but any inquiry cannot be dragged out."

Willie Rennie, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said: "It is really important that we understand how information flows throughout Police Scotland so that we are actually reassured that this is a rare error, rather than a system problem."

Scottish Conservative justice spokeswoman Margaret Mitchell said: "Communication is obviously a big issue in the single force which must be addressed now urgently and as an absolute priority."

Calum Steele, General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, said incidents like this one were a rarity.

"Clearly the apology issued yesterday will raise some questions," he said.

"But we have a service that deals with over 10,000 calls a day. Over the course of a year we deal with more people than are in hospitals, children than there are in schools, and on the vast majority of occasions the public get an outstanding service."

In January 2014, police were criticised by the PIRC over their handling of the case of the 52-year-old man found dead after he had been reported missing.

The man was found in Edinburgh, three days after neighbours contacted police.

The PIRC said a lack of prompt action by officers was "a significant failing".

Police in Edinburgh were also criticised by the commissioner for their response to another missing person inquiry in October 2013, when a 39-year-old man with mental health problems, who had been taken home by officers, sustained serious injuries after falling from a block of flats in Leith.