Police apologise to mother of barman who was found dead in the sea - after they brought in a WATER DIVINER to help find her son's body
- Josh Clayton's body was found on rocks off the Scilly Isle of Tresco in 2015
- Devon and Cornwall Police used a water diviner to 'help the investigation'
- Force has apologised for not meeting 'high levels of service it aspired to'
Police have apologised to the mother of a barman found dead in the sea near a private island after they used a water diviner to help find his body.
Josh Clayton, 23, was last seen alive on September 12 2015, when he went missing after a party for local workers on the Scilly Isles. His body was discovered on rocks off the island of Tresco 11 days later.
His mother Tracey Clayton made an official complaint about Devon and Cornwall Police's 'botched' investigation into her son's death - and its decision to use a 'water diviner' to find his body.
A water diviner is someone who uses rods to locate the presence of water. Divination is classified as a pseudoscience.
Josh Clayton, 23 (pictured in family photo) was last seen alive on September 12, 2015 when he went missing after a party for local workers on the Scilly Isles. His body was discovered on rocks on the island of Tresco 11 days later
His mother Tracey Clayton (pictured) made an official complaint about Devon and Cornwall Police's 'botched' investigation into her son's death - and its decision to use a 'water diviner' to find his body
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The force apologised and said it failed to meet the 'high levels of service it aspired to in the investigation'.
Mrs Clayton blames officers for the fact she still doesn't know what happened to her son, who was originally from Taunton, Somerset. She fears her son was murdered. The last murder on the Scilly Isles was in 1976.
Pictured: Josh Clayton, of Taunton, Somerset
Two professional standards reports seen by the BBC have found issues with the way the Devon and Cornwall Police investigation was conducted.
Mrs Clayton has also clashed with the force's Sergeant Colin Taylor, branded 'the Scilly Sergeant' over his methods.
After a three-hour meeting with the force she said: 'They were just very apologetic for the way that the whole of the first investigation was run, which helps to vindicate what I was saying in the beginning, but it doesn't help because there was a lot of missed opportunities which we will never get back again.'
She added that she would never find out what happened to her son unless someone came forward with new evidence.
Detective Chief Inspector Steve Parker, of Devon and Cornwall Police said there were a 'number of organisational learning points' for the force, which he claims have been 'fully implemented'.
The force ruled out any 'foul' play, but Mr Clayton's brother Ashley, sister Danielle, mother Tracey and stepfather Clayton have spent thousands on legal advice in their quest for the truth.
Pictured: Mr Clayton's body was found on rocks off the Isle of Tresco 11 days after he disappeared
