Review of Caithness man Kevin Mcleod's death by Merseyside Police has been received by the family

The family of Caithness man Kevin Mcleod, whose body was found in Wick harbour 25 years ago, have confirmed they have received a report into the case by Merseyside Police, which is understood to have cleared the police and prosecutors of any criminality.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Kevin's uncle, Allan Mcleod, said: "We have received the Merseyside Police report from the Crown Office and will meet with the Lord Advocate – Scotland's senior law officer – and Merseyside Police in due course to discuss the contents.

"We do not feel it is appropriate to comment until we have had the opportunity to fully consider the findings and meet with the authorities."

Kevin's parents June and Hugh Mcleod and other members of the family have fought for a quarter of a century to find out what happened to Kevin. They believe he was murdered because of the serious injuries on his body but police at the time claimed his death was a tragic accident. The Mcleods also pointed out the procurator fiscal at Wick, at the time, instructed the police to investigate the case as murder.

According to a report in a daily newspaper, the Merseyside officers, who spent months re-examining the case, concluded it is "highly unlikely" the 24-year-old was murdered and says he drowned after an accidental fall.

The 357-page document is said to have found that Kevin's serious injuries were not caused by an assault but by him falling on to one or more creel nets on a fishing boat after a night out in the town in February 1997.

It found no evidence any police officer or Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service officers committed any criminal acts.

The review team is reported as saying it could not discount the possibility that Kevin may have been pushed from the quayside but feel that was unlikely as he was a man of good character with no known concerns or enemies. The Merseyside police team found no one with a motive to end his life, it was stated.

According to the newspaper, six detectives and two retired officers examined 20 boxes of documents from Police Scotland offices in Wick, Inverness and Stirling and carried out additional interviews but could find no evidence of any criminal involvement in Kevin's death.

However, the report is said to have described the initial inquiry by the then Northern Constabulary as "ill-equipped" and "under-resourced". It said there were multiple missed opportunities with some basic lines of inquiry overlooked.

The officers were said to have found evidence of potential misconduct but stressed those involved are retired and are no longer subject to disciplinary regulations or have passed away.

The case has been the subject of a number of investigations.

As previously reported, the Mcleod family say they are "victims of serious systemic failures by both police and the Crown". They hoped the review would provide the answers they have been seeking for nearly quarter of a century and that "justice and accountability would prevail".