The mother of a four-year-old boy who died at a hospital accused of falsifying cancer care data believes her son may be still alive had it not been for mistakes in his diagnosis and treatment.

Mackenzie Cackett died of a brain tumour in May last year after enduring a series of lengthy delays and blunders in his treatment at Colchester General Hospital.

The hospital's trust has been reported to the police after staff complained of a cover-up in which they said they were "pressured or bullied" into falsifying data relating to cancer patients.

Health watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) contacted Essex Police after finding that it appeared data was altered to meet crucial targets.

Mackenzie's mother, Danielle Uren, said  it was "terrifying" that other cancer patients might also have suffered.

She said: "The thing is, it wasn't just Mackenzie. It is upsetting. What else will come out of the woodwork? It is scary."

Mackenzie was taken to the hospital's A&E department in September 2010 because he was vomiting and was suffering from headaches.

He had blood tests and and X-ray, but no further appointments were made. A scan of his head and spine were delayed by four weeks and in February 2011 he was diagnosed with cancer, seven months after going to his family doctor.

In September that year doctors dismissed his symptoms after they returned, but in January 2012 he was diagnosed with a secondary tumour, and died four months later, shortly after he was visited by the Duchess of Cambridge.

Miss Uren said in February: "Mackenzie is just another statistic as far as the hospital is concerned. The treatment by Colchester Hospital has caused so much upset and guilt. They have avoided blame and it's unacceptable."

The CQC said that of 61 care records examined, 22 showed that people had been "placed at risk of receiving care that was unsafe or not effective, due to delays in receiving appointments or treatment".

In some cases people did not get their treatment within the required 62 days, and in three cases delays exceeded 100 days.

Mackenzie was not one of the patients identified in the report, but the hospital has launched a separate investigation into his death over concerns that "administrative errors" led to delays in diagnosis and treatment.