The father of a man who drowned after falling from the Clackmannanshire Bridge during a police chase is calling for a fatal accident inquiry into his death.

Mark Wood, 44, whose son Dean died on November 13 last year, said there are many unanswered questions over what happened in the minutes before his son fell into the River Forth.

The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) has concluded its inquiry into the incident, clearing police of any wrongdoing and the Crown Office has decided not to investigate further.

Mr Wood insists his 20-year-old son's death should have been avoided and feels an inquiry may shed some light on why officers did not force his son to pull over despite following his van, which had two burst tyres, for more than a mile.

Mr Wood, who lived with and employed his son at his home improvement business in Sauchie, Clackmannanshire, said the death "devastated" the family, including Dean's three younger siblings.

It is believed Dean was slightly over the limit on the night he died and after bunking down on a friend's couch in Sauchie, he changed his mind and decided to drive to Falkirk to visit a friend.

He was driving his van at around 2.50am when a police armed response vehicle passed him on the road.

It is understood a front tyre on Dean's van blew, drawing the attention of officers, prompting them to turn around and pursue him.

Dean then hit a roundabout, blowing a second tyre. The damage caused his vehicle to spark as it continued towards the Clackmannanshire Bridge, leaving deep gouges in the road, which are still visible.

When Dean reached the bridge he lost control, crashing into both sides and eventually coming to rest against the safety barriers.

It is believed Dean got out of his vehicle on the passenger side, climbing over the barriers in order to do so, but found himself unable to hold on amid high winds.

He fell into the waters below and despite extensive searches by the coastguard at the time, then groups of friends and family in the weeks that followed, his body was not found until a month later.

Mr Wood said: "This isn't about blame but I believe there were people there who should have stopped it taking the course it did. The people with him in his last moments were professionals. He was just a young boy.

"I know my son. He was trying to hold on and they said he couldn't. He would have been scared. He'll have been thinking, 'my dad's going to kill me, I'm going to lose my licence'. He's obviously been scared to death.

"Should they really have been pursuing a traffic offence in an armed response vehicle? In any case they should have stopped that van.

"It was a two-lane deserted road at 2am in the morning. They could have easily pulled that van over. I could have pulled it over. If they'd driven up next to him or overtaken, I really think he would have pulled over.

"I would like a fatal accident inquiry. I would like to see a breakdown of what happened. I wasn't strong enough at the time to deal with it but now I know questions need to be answered.

"I want to know why this happened. Most days I blame myself but this isn't about blame. This could, and should, have been handled differently. Certain things might have changed the outcome."

Mr Wood added: "He climbed over the railings and was just hanging there. The police said they told him to 'hang on, hang on' but he said he couldn't. Then he just fell.

"It was obviously a very difficult and unexpected situation for the police. But it should never have got that far.

"It’s been hell since he died. I've thought about this a lot since that night and I'm quite clear that we need more investigation into it. If lessons can be learned to prevent this happening to another family, it's worth it."

The family are considering seeking legal advice in a bid to prompt a fatal accident inquiry.

A spokeswoman for the Crown office said: "The procurator fiscal received a report from the PIRC in connection with the death of Dean Wood on November 13, 2015.

"After careful consideration of this report and the full facts and circumstances of the case, the procurator fiscal concluded that no further investigation is required."

A spokesman for the PIRC added: "Our family liaison staff provided information to the family where appropriate during the course of the investigation.

"The investigation report was submitted to the Crown Office on January 25."

A police spokesman said: "Police Scotland is in the process of reviewing the PIRC’s findings into the death of Dean Wood.

"We note the PIRC has concluded that the actions of the officers involved were proportionate and justified, and there is no evidence to suggest that Dean’s death was attributed to any act or omission by Police Scotland

"Once again, we take this opportunity to send our sincere condolence to Dean’s family and friends."

Dean was buried in January with the funeral procession being led by a Nissan GT-R sports car, his favourite type.