THE parents of a toddler killed by an out-of-control speedboat have welcomed news of the driver's arrest.

Paul Gallagher died in August 2002 when the boat mounted the Bahamas beach he was sleeping on.

Following nearly five years of campaigning, his parents Paul, 42, and Andrea, 40, say they are delighted driver James Bain has been arrested.

The Foreign Office told the couple this morning Bain had been charged with manslaughter through negligence by Bahamian police.

Bain, aged 29, appeared in magistrates' court in the Bahamian capital of Nassau on Monday, charged with manslaughter by negligence.

He was not required to enter a plea and was released on £5,025 bail.

Chief magistrate Roger Gomez ordered him to handover his passport and report to a police station every Saturday.

The arrests of two owners of Bahamian boating firm Paradise Ocean Sports (formerly Sea and Ski Ocean Sports) are imminent, according to Mr Gallagher.

Reacting to news of the arrest, Mr Gallagher said: "We are delighted the Bahamian Government have charged the boat driver."

"It is a fantastic step forward as we fight for Justice for Paul, but we still both want to see the case re-opened and fully investigated by the Bahamian authorities.

"There are still other people who need to be held to account, including the Atlantis Resort's lifeguards who failed to notice the boat was out of control for around a minute, with no driver at the wheel, before it mounted the beach and killed Paul.

"We'd like to thank News Shopper again for helping us with our campaign.

"It will be five years in August since Paul died. In that time we have had to endure a wall of silence from the Bahamian authorities, who have continuously tried to brush this matter under the carpet to save the reputation of their tourist industry."

The Gallaghers, of Repton Road, Orpington, are still awaiting information of trial dates and are adamant they should be in the Bahamas in the event of a trial.

Mr Gallagher continued: "My wife and myself both want to come to the Bahamas again to ensure a fair trial is carried out.

"If we are not called as witnesses we will be amazed.

"We are happy with this latest development, but at the same time we are not stupid and we realise it could be a long time before anyone is jailed for this.

"The fight for Justice for Paul is still far from over."

The news comes after a warrant for Bain's arrest was issued in November last year upon the request of the Attorney General's office in the Bahamas.

Nothing happened, so on January 10 this year the Gallaghers met with Lord Triesman from the Foreign Office in London in a bid to hurry things along.

They also delivered a letter to Downing Street, asking Prime Minister Tony Blair to support them in their plight for justice.

News Shopper, angered by the lack of progress in the case, launched the Justice for Paul campaign in February last year.

Welcoming news of the arrests, Editor Jean May said: "We are all very pleased the wheels of justice have begun to turn at last.

"No doubt, this is the first major step on a very long journey for the Gallagher family but they should be cheered by this news.

"When we launched our campaign, we pledged we would not rest until Justice for Paul was achieved. It seems at long last, we're on the road to this important aim."

Orpington MP John Horam, who has campaigned with News Shopper, said: "It's very good news indeed.

"When I went with them to the Foreign Office the point was the warrant had been served by the court on the boat driver but not put into practice so this is good news.

"The addition of the boat owners is very good news.

"I talk to the Gallaghers regularly and I am told there is some real progress."

CAMPAIGN'S TIMELINE

  • August 6, 2002: Paul and Andrea Gallagher arrive in the Bahamas with their three children, five-year-old Heather, one-year-old Andrew and Paul.
  • August 15, 2002: As the family celebrate Mr Gallagher's birthday, two-year-old Paul is struck by an out-of-control speedboat which mounts the beach as he dozes in a deckchair.
  • August 20, 2002: Toddler Paul dies in hospital.
  • June 12, 2003: A Bahamas inquest returns a verdict of accidental death.
  • October 28, 2004: Another inquest is held at Bromley Magistrates' Court. Coroner Dr Roy Palmer returns an open verdict.
  • February 15, 2006: News Shopper launches Justice for Paul - a campaign pushing for a full reinvestigation into the boy's death.
  • April 4, 2006: Paul and Andrea Gallagher, joined by Orpington MP John Horam and reporter Sara Nelson, are locked out of the Bahamas Consulate as they try to deliver 1,000 News Shopper reader signatures calling for a police review into the tragedy.
  • May 29, 2006: Senior Met Police detectives fly to the Bahamas to conduct a two-week review into the incident. A report of the review is printed and distributed to relevant authorities in August.
  • November 19, 2006: The Royal Bahamas Police Force issues a warrant for the arrest of the boat driver, James Bain.
  • January 10, 2007: The Gallaghers and Mr Horam met with the Met Police detectives who took part in the review and Foreign Office Minister Lord Triesman to discuss the developments so far.
  • January 23: The family are told by the Foreign Office that speedboat driver James Bain has been arrested by Bahamas police.