A tragic incident led to the death of a 12-year-old girl named Brooke Wiggins. While playing on a rope swing, a tree branch snapped, causing her to be trapped under it for up to two hours. The incident occurred in Banstead, Surrey, where ambulances were called to the scene to assist in freeing Brooke from under the fallen tree.
During a pre-inquest review, it was revealed that the tree, located on land owned by the London Borough of Sutton, should have been maintained by Surrey County Council. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and tree experts from Surrey County Council conducted an investigation into the matter. The inquest will focus on determining the responsibilities of Surrey County Council regarding the ownership and maintenance of the tree.
Despite efforts to free Brooke, she sustained severe injuries and tragically passed away. The tree in question has been recommended for ‘monolithing’, which involves removing all branches. Surrey County Council is considering further investigations before proceeding with any work on the tree.
Unfortunately, there have been other incidents involving fatalities related to council-owned trees in recent years. These include the deaths of Lukasz Costazza in Waltham Forest, Madia Kauser in Blackburn, a homeless man in Blackpool, and Leonna Ruka in Southend-on-Sea. Investigations are ongoing, and a full inquest into Brooke’s death is scheduled for the following year.
The community mourns the loss of Brooke and efforts are being made to ensure that similar tragedies are prevented in the future.