No criminal charges for cheese maker after girl’s death

A cheese maker which is facing claims its product was linked to the death of a threeyear-old girl will not face criminal prosecution.

Prosecutors had been considering whether to bring charges against Errington Cheese following a fatal outbreak of E.coli poisoning last year.

The child, from Dunbartonshire, whose identity has not been disclosed, died in September 2016. Food safety agencies said Errington’s bestselling Dunsyre Blue brand cheese was the most likely source of the outbreak.

Butthecrownofficehasnow announced there will be no criminal proceedings against the Lanarkshire-based company due to lack of evidence.

Officials are still considering whether to hold a fatal accident inquiry into the girl’s death.

Humphrey Errington, who founded the company which is now run by his daughter Selina, spoke of his relief at the decision following the 13-month investigation.

He said: “This decision that criminal charges are not being brought has come as a great relief to us and I think the public can draw their own conclusions from it.

“We are not privy to any of the information regarding this poor child’s tragic death.

“However, we have said all along that we do not accept that our cheese was responsible for the outbreak last year which led to people falling ill.”

The company, which no longer produces Dunsyre Blue, is still facing a civil legal case over the outbreak, brought by South Lanarkshire Council, which seized batches of Errington’s Lanark Blue and Corra Lin cheeses. The battle centres on whether cheese products made from raw milk are safe to eat and evidence is set to be heard during hearings at Lanark Sheriff Court in December.

The case has cost the manufacturer more than £200,000 in legal bills.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS), which is responsible for food safety, and Health Protection Scotland, part of the NHS, investigated the outbreak which led to 26 people falling ill. A report released in March concluded that Dunsyre Blue cheese was the source.

Geoff Ogle, the chief executive of FSS, said: “The decision made by Crown Counsel is independent and separate to the decisions made during this incident, and has different requirements to decisions made under food law.”