Council fined over swing safety failure

An English council has been fined £18,000 after a ten-year-old boy sustained severe head injuries while he was playing on a tyre swing in an park, reports the BBC.

Jamie Jackson was hit on the head when the swing’s suspension mechanism collapsed and landed on top of him. He received a fractured skull and his injuries were described as “potentially life threatening” by the Health and Safety Executive.

Blackpool Council had apparently been warned on four separate occasions that the swing was faulty and in need of repair. It pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety legislation and apologised for the incident.

"If the swing had received urgent attention as recommended, then the horrific injuries the boy suffered could have been avoided," commented HSE inspector Michael Mullen, reports the BBC.

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