Girl, 12, killed after 'being crushed under fallen tree branch for two hours'

A 12-year-old girl died after a branch snapped when she was using a rope swing and she ended up laying crushed under a tree branch for up to two hours, an inquest heard.

Brooke Wiggins was playing with friends when the tragedy occurred and the branch gave way. Assistant coroner Ivor Collett said it was important to find out what had happened because it was “a tree that any normal child might look at and think it was a tree for playing on.”

A pre-inquest review into Brooke’s death on November 9 last year heard that the tree was owned and should have been maintained by Surrey County Council. But to confuse matters, the land where Brooke fell was actually owned by a different local authority, the London Borough of Sutton.

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Ambulances were called to Grove Place near the junction with Carshalton Road in Banstead, Surrey, after Brooke became trapped by the fallen tree. It took between 90 minutes and two hours to free her using specialist equipment.

At a pre-inquest review hearing at South London Coroners’ Court in Croydon, Mr Collett said the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) had carried out an investigation, alongside tree experts from Surrey County Council. Brooke’s mum Claire Etherington and other relatives were in court to hear Mr Collett say: “What this inquest will really be about is the role of Surrey County Council in respect of the ownership and maintenance of the tree. The accident itself and death occurred on land owned by the London Borough of Sutton.

“The tree was growing on land a few metres away owned and maintained by Surrey County Council. The inspection regime and maintenance falls to Surrey County Council.” And he added: “There is no suggestion that Brooke and her friends were doing anything wrong.

“It was public land. There was a bridleway they walked along to get to it. It’s not as if they clambered over a fence to gain access to land they were prohibited from.”

Brooke’s friends summoned help and brothers Edward and Patrick Delaney responded, but were not able to remove the branch themselves. Brooke suffered severe crush injuries and died. Mr Collett said police bodyworn footage would be too distressing to play in court.

"It’s so upsetting to think of a 12-year-old child in this situation,” he added.“It’s the most terrible thing for any family to endure. We owe it to Brooke to investigate properly and allow a conclusion to be fully informed.”

An inspection of the tree suggested it be ‘monolithed’, which means cutting off all of its branches. That has not been carried out yet in case further investigations are needed, a representative for Surrey County Council said. However Mr Collett said works to the tree could now be done.

There have been a slew of people killed by council-owned trees in recent years. Lukasz Costazza, 30, died after being hit by a crumbling tree in 2015 in Low Hall Nature Reserve in Waltham Forest which is owned by Waltham Forest Council.

Madia Kauser, 32, died in Witton Country Park in Blackburn as she walked with her husband and two children on August 11 - pushing her daughter out of the way only to be hit herself. Blackburn With Darwen Council's Phil Riley said the authority had been told nothing could have been done to the tree to prevent what had happened.

Meanwhile just a few weeks ago, a homeless man died when a branch crashed onto his tent in Revoe park in Blackpool. And seven-year-old Leonna Ruka, from Dagenham east London, suffered a fatal head injury while on a day trip to Southend-on-Sea, Essex, with family on June 28 when a tree fell on her.

Up to 50 people tried to move the tree after it trapped five children underneath. Essex Police and the Health and Safety Executive are investigating. A full inquest into Brooke’s death will take place next year.