THE family of a Scot killed in a mining disaster in New Zealand will visit the site with relatives of other victims to mark the second anniversary of the tragedy.

Malcolm Campbell and his wife Jane, who lost their son, also called Malcolm, 25, of St Andrews in Fife, will join with around 150 relatives in a visit to the site of the November 2010 explosion.

Mr Campbell revealed the plans as a damning report into the Pike River mine incident was published.

Pete Rodger, 40, from Perthshire, was also killed with 27 other men in an accident which investigators say could have been prevented.

Mr Campbell now fears his son will never be recovered in his lifetime, and plans to pay tribute at his final resting place.

He said: "The new owners (Solid Energy) told us the only way Malcolm and the other men will be removed is if they ever do a mining operation in that area and we've been told that could be at least 10 years away.

"We would much rather have him home, to be buried alongside his granny and grandad, but I don't see that ever happening in my lifetime. We know it's a terrible place he's in with the other men. He's got to lie there and become part of history.

"We've got to say now we're leaving Malcolm over there and we're going over later this month to say our goodbyes."

The mine, in Atarau on the country's South Island, was rocked by an initial explosion that trapped the workers.

A second blast five days later dashed hopes that any of the workers had survived.

The Royal Commission report into the incident revealed the now-bankrupt Pike River Coal company ignored 21 warnings that methane had accumulated to explosive levels. Investigators also said the firm exposed the miners to unacceptable risk as it strove to meet financial targets.

Mr Campbell said the report was a lot worse than he and his family expected.

He said: "When it comes to using the word preventable, it's really hard to take. There are dangers in all kinds of industries, and especially in mining, but there's an obligation to keep workers as safe as possible.

"Money was an issue and they were under pressure to get the coal out. When you see the health and safety implications, that was their priority rather than keeping the workers safe."

The report also criticised the New Zealand Government and concluded that the country has a poor safety record in its workplaces.

This led to the resignation of Minister of Labour Kate Wilkinson, a move which Mr Campbell said was "definitely the right decision".

He added: "It's an admission from the government they know they did something wrong. They had the power to shut that mine down.

"The mine was inspected just three days before and it was deemed safe. It's all a bit iffy how it was ever signed off.

"New Zealand has a terrible health and safety record. The main thing now is they learn from this so it doesn't happen again."