Sutton (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A full inquest into 12-year-old Brooke Wiggins’ death will begin next spring amid scrutiny over the tree’s maintenance and local safety measures in Sutton.
Following a pre-inquest review presided over by Coroner Ivor Collett on October 7 at South London Coroners Court, located inside Croydon Council Chambers, the date was established. Whether Sutton Council, Surrey County Council, or both are accountable for the circumstances that resulted in her death will be decided at the inquest.
While playing with friends at Grove Place, close to the intersection with Carshalton Road, Brooke passed away on November 9 of last year when a branch broke off the tree she was swinging on with a rope swing. According to reports, the situation was quite upsetting, with her companions yelling for assistance while they awaited the arrival of emergency personnel.
Despite residents’ and rescue teams’ efforts, she was declared dead at the site after emergency personnel spent more than an hour attempting to release her from the fallen branch.
Surrey County Council members, the Health and Safety Executive, and the police will all testify during the inquest. The tree on which the rope swing was fastened is under the council’s care.
Surrey arboriculture managers will be asked to testify on the tree’s inspection schedule and whether it complied with safety regulations. The purpose of the hearing is to determine whether the branch breakdown could have been avoided and whether the council’s maintenance procedures were adequate.
Coroner Collett pointed out the case’s wider relevance, calling it “an important issue for Surrey” because, with a tree cover of 22.4%, Surrey has the most trees of any county in England. Additionally, he has given Surrey County Council permission to start “monolithing,” which is the process of removing the tree’s remaining limbs that were involved in the catastrophe.
The London Borough of Sutton may be listed as a “interested party” in the inquest, according to the coroner’s decision. Interested parties have the right to participate more actively in the inquiry than other witnesses because they are people, organizations, or representatives who have a legal stake in the death.
What safety inspections were carried out before the incident?
Prior to the unfortunate event involving Ms. Brooke Wiggins, Surrey County Council had completed tree safety inspections as part of their maintenance duties. The frequency and scope of these inspections are currently under investigation, but Surrey’s tree specialists did visit the tree prior to Ms. Wiggins’ incident and recommended after the incident that all remaining limbs be removed due to concerns regarding the condition of the tree.
Typically, safety inspections in tree risk management generally include visual inspections for signs of decay, structural failure, and risks of dead or loose limbs falling on persons or property.
Safety inspections can occur on a periodic basis by a qualified arborist or tree officer, and the findings can be documented and given priority for remedial action.