Police investigate whether officers failed to respond to call of Bannockburn crash that killed John Yuill and left Lamara Bell seriously injured

A seriously injured woman may have lain undiscovered next to her dead boyfriend in their car for up to three days in central Scotland, after police failed to respond to a report of a motorway crash.



Police Scotland confirmed late on Wednesday that it was investigating an accident in which a man was pronounced dead at the scene and a woman was left in a critical condition in hospital.

John Yuill, 28, and his girlfriend Lamara Bell, 25, had been reported missing by friends after they were last seen in the early hours of Sunday morning. The couple, both from the Falkirk area, left the south shore of Loch Earn, Stirlingshire, following a weekend camping trip.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The blue Renault Clio in which John Yuill and Lamara Bell were last seen. Photograph: Police Scotland/PA

It has since emerged that a call was made to police late on Sunday morning reporting that a car had left the road on the M9 southbound near junction nine at Bannockburn. The report was not followed up at the time, a failure that has now been referred to Scotland’s police investigations and review commissioner (PIRC).

Bell’s family told BBC Scotland that they were angry and disgusted with the police’s handling of the case, and that she had been placed in a medically induced coma after suffering broken bones and damaged kidneys because of dehydration.

Police Scotland said it was called to the wooded area beside the motorway shortly before 10am on Wednesday, following a report that a Renault Clio had left the road. An NHS spokesperson on Thursday morning confirmed the female passenger was being cared for in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, where her condition was described as “very serious”. It is believed that her family is at her bedside.

Yuill, the co-owner of a caravan recycling business near Stirling and father of two young sons, was described by friends on Facebook as “a great guy and a brilliant dad”.

Location of the crash Location of the crash

The Scottish Conservative MSP for mid Scotland and Fife Murdo Fraser described the incident as “truly shocking”.

“People lying unattended at the side of the road for days is something you’d be surprised to encounter in the third world. The circumstances leading to this must be investigated as a matter of absolute urgency.”

The leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats Willie Rennie expressed sympathy for the families of both crash victims, and called on the Scottish government to review whether an investigation by the PIRC would be sufficient. “I know police offers have been deeply affected by this case. There is great upset within the force. It is of such importance that serious questions must be answered.”

“It is right that the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner is investigating the matter but that may not be enough. A wider independent investigation may be required.

“I want the Justice Secretary to review whether an investigation by the PIRC is sufficient. The operation of Police Scotland is under scrutiny here and we need an investigation to match its serious nature.”

The Scottish government’s justice secretary Michael Matheson called for a “quick and very swift” investigation into the fatal crash.

Matheson, who is the local MSP for both victims, said that he had been assured by police that the investigation would be “as thorough and as quick as possible”.

Assistant chief constable Kate Thomson said: “Officers attended and the male driver of the car was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. The female passenger was conveyed to the Southern General, Glasgow, where she is in a critical condition. We believe that this is connected to the ongoing missing persons search for John Yuill and Lamara Bell.”

She went on: “It has come to light that a call was made to police late on Sunday morning regarding a car which was reported as being off the road. For reasons currently being investigated, that report was not followed up at the time.” This investigation has now been handed over the PIRC, which cannot confirm how long it will take to conclude, while Police Scotland continues to investigate the road traffic accident.

“Officers have notified the families of this update. Our thoughts are with both families at this difficult time. A full investigation is currently under way to establish the full circumstances of the incident.”

Scottish Labour MSP Elaine Murray questioned whether the centralising of the country’s police force through the unified Police Scotland may have contributed to the apparent call handler error. “Local police control rooms across Scotland have been being closed and the effectiveness of the 101 service has been called into question. It is essential that the PIRC inquiry investigates whether the new call centre arrangements led to the report of this tragic accident not being followed up.”



A spokesperson for PIRC confirmed on Thursday evening that their investigation would focus on why the initial telephone call made to Police Scotland on Sunday, reporting a car was off the road, was not followed up. “The commissioner’s investigation will also examine the robustness of Police Scotland’s missing person inquiry and look at why that enquiry was not linked with the information received in the call.

“Our team of investigators have now commenced inquiries to look into all these matters and establish what happened.”