A mum whose son was chased by police and ended up drowning on a birthday night out is furious that no-one will be blamed for his death.
Steven O'Neill, 28, had travelled to York to celebrate with his Army sergeant brother Philip when the tragedy happened.
The Wirral man, who was engaged to be married, was having a drink at a bar near the River Ouse when police arrived at the scene.
The North Yorkshire force claimed a CCTV operator alerted them to "suspicious activity" at King's Staith, close to the water, at about midnight on April 13.
But so far, police have refused to detail what that suspicious behaviour was.
Mr O'Neill, who could not swim, ran off and entered the water, drowning a short time later.
An investigation was launched by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) because of officers' involvement in the fatality.
But this week, the watchdog wrote to Mr O'Neill's mum - Sharon Scott - and told her any disciplinary action was unlikely.
In a letter penned to the groundsman's mum, the lead investigator said: “My assessment of all the evidence gathered to date in the investigation does not suggest the officers involved with Mr O'Neill may have breached the police standards of professional behaviour or acted in a manner that would justify disciplinary proceedings.”
Investigators are said to have studied bodycam footage, CCTV clips, radio transmission recordings, witness statements and repeatedly visited the scene.
Today, Mrs Scott, 57, described the news as "appalling."
The single mum-of-nine, who works with the homeless on Merseyside, told the ECHO: "It was police officers' choice to chase Steven, they knew the risks.
"There was a lack of duty of care and humanity.
"I want accountability for my son, it's not going to bring him back, but his voice matters."
At the time, Mr O'Neill was one of five people to die in York’s rivers in just three weeks.
Mrs Scott, who said the IOPC had "let her down after she put her faith in them", added she planned to launch her own civil action.
The IOPC said their probe was yet to finish.
Mr O'Neill had been with his girlfriend Beth for eight years and they had discussed getting married in the future.
Mrs Scott, who lives in Birkenhead, added: "I've been robbed of the companionship of my son, and the joy of seeing grandkids.
"He made such an impact on Wirral, there were 400 people at his funeral.
"Steven was a zany, funny, and the very fabric of my family, he always wanted to see the good in things.
"As his mum, I'm heartbroken."
It is still unclear why police began chasing the 28-year-old.
His mum believes officers had arrived to speak to a different group of three men near the bar, but when they dispersed, her son wrongly thought he was in trouble, and ran off.
An IOPC spokesman said: "This has been a detailed and thorough investigation following the tragic death of Mr O’Neill, and we have worked hard to complete our work as soon as possible.
“Some lines of inquiry are outstanding and, once completed, the next step is to write the final report.
“The officers involved have been treated as witnesses throughout the investigation.
“We accept that, on occasion, the outcome of our investigations will not satisfy everyone concerned.
"Our work is independent; all the available evidence has been very carefully analysed and will be set out in the final report.
“We will then await the inquest into Mr O’Neill’s death, following which we will consider the publication of our findings.”
A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: “The investigation by the Independent Office of Police Conduct is still ongoing and the inquest into Steven’s death is yet to be heard.
"In view of these outstanding matters, it would not be appropriate to make any further comment.”
