Published • loading... • Updated
Girl's rope swing death was a 'shocking accident', coroner says
- On Wednesday, Assistant Coroner Ivor Collett ruled the death of 12-year-old Brooke Wiggins an accident after a tree branch snapped and crushed her while she played on a rope swing in Banstead, Surrey, on November 9, 2024.
- Surrey County Council held responsibility for the 20m tree but had not inspected it since 2022, while a scheduled May 2024 inspection never occurred and recommended ivy removal work remained overdue.
- While Collett paid tribute to Brooke as "plainly a light that shone," her family now focuses on ensuring her death leads to meaningful change in tree maintenance and rope swing management across public spaces.
- Collett determined SCC had "reasonable systems in place," rejecting criticism and calling the death a "shocking accident" given the "huge number of trees" the council manages.
- Represented by Saunders Law, Brooke's maternal family expressed "deep disappointment" in the ruling, citing the lack of stronger findings on accountability for overdue inspections and maintenance failures.
Insights by Ground AI
15 Articles
15 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources15
Leaning Left5Leaning Right1Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Center
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources are Center
57% Center
L 36%
C 57%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
