MURDER squad detectives from the Metropolitan Police are set to review the death of a man who died after his head got caught in a cement mixer almost 15 years ago.

The death of Lee Balkwell, 33, at Baldwin’s Farm, South Ockendon, in July 2002, is one of Thurrock’s most controversial unsolved deaths and Lee’s father, Les, has fought for justice ever since.

Ruled a tragic accident, one man was cleared of manslaughter by negligence after a trial in 2014 – but allegations of murder and police corruption have kept the case firmly in the public eye.

The Gazette can now reveal that a year-long cold case review by a crack team of former senior detectives has led to the Met Police becoming involved in the probe.

Mr Balkwell, 70, has told how new evidence came to light after a successful High Court action in December last year which he says has forced Essex Police to hand over documents from the original investigation.

These have in turn been passed to detectives at the Essex-based TM-Eye detective agency, who had already spent six months reviewing the case. Mr Balkwell and the agency’s boss Dave McKelvey met with police and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst to discuss the case.

Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh is currently subject of a misconduct probe by Devon and Cornwall Police into allegations, made by Mr Balkwell, that the force failed to investigate claims of police corruption linked to Lee’s murder.

A spokesman for the Met Police said: “At this very early stage the matter is being assessed by detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Review Group.”

An Essex Police spokesman says it has “no further comment to make on this case.”