BATTLING mum Brenda Rowley has won another step in her fight for justice for her son, Malcolm.

She has received a long-awaited letter of apology from Salford Social Services over the severely disabled 30-year-old's death at his Eccles care home.

In it the department has also acknowledged responsibility for Malcolm being left alone to drown in his bath in July, 1998.

But the pain still goes on for Brenda, of Whimbrel Road, Astley, who has criticised an agreed settlement of £1,750 as obscene, and has vowed to fight on to bring a manslaughter case.

The apology is the latest in a long line of successes for Brenda, whose constant fight led to an inquest jury returning a verdict that neglect had played a part in Malcolm's accidental death, and Salford social services being fined £125,000 in a Health and Safety Executive prosecution last year.

She said: "Until they bring a manslaughter charge I haven't won. It has taken social services three years to formally accept liability, and then only days before we were due to go to court.

"There was never any question that they would be able to defend their position, but they still put my family through three years of hell.

"The monetary value of the claim is obscene and does not reflect the level of neglect, but it does raise a number of issues."

She added: "If Malcolm had been injured or maimed as a result of neglect the compensation award would have been considerably higher, but the law dictates that as Malcolm has died, and died quickly, the compensation will be much less. This is a ludicrous law that is no deterrent and gives out the wrong message.

"It basically states that if you are to neglect someone then make sure they die and die as quickly as possible. That way the financial penalty will be very little."

Eve Murphy, deputy director of community and social services at Salford City Council, said: "We deeply regret what happened to Mr Rowley and our thoughts remain with his relatives and friends.

"Our insurers have settled the compensation claim with the family and they have accepted £1,750, although we realise that no amount of money could ever compensate for the tragedy.

"Risk assessment and management procedures are now in place to prevent an incident like this happening again." ANOTHER VICTORY: Brenda Rowley will fight on for tragic son Malcolm, below