Old Vicarage Centre in Stottesdon fined £5,000 after girl, 11, is injured after fall

Sunniva Lynklater-Jones fell while attending Live the Adventure, based at The Old Vicarage Centre in Stottesdon, more than two years ago.

The Newtown School pupil, then aged 11, suffered multiple fractures to her foot and needed months of treatment after the incident in June, 2013.

At Shrewsbury Crown Court last week Live the Adventure was fined having admitted a charge of failing to ensure that a person, not employed by the company, was not exposed to risk.

Judge Peter Barrie also ordered that the residential adventure centre - operated by Ant and Steph Eddies-Davies - pay £10,000 court costs.

The breach of health and safety regulations case was brought by Shropshire Council’s health and community protection department.

Mr Nigel Lawrence, prosecuting, said the incident happened after a harness, lanyard and a carabiner clip had been used in such as way as to create a ‘false clipping’ which led to a rubber retainer on the harness taking the weight of the child, rather than the load bearing carabiner.

The youngster had been making her way across a rope course, called the Tyrolean Traverse, when her lanyard connecting her to an overhead wire became unclipped causing her to fall.

He said that prior to the accident an Adventure Activities Licensing Service inspector had recommended that a technical advisor be installed to look at the rope course, but this was not implemented.

Mr Oliver Campbell for Live the Adventure Ltd said: “The centre was advised to appoint a technical advisor for its rope course, as it had done for other activities.”

He said Mr Eddies-Davies, who has trained members of the Metropolitan Police and the fire service in the use of ropes, thought he had sufficient experience not to make such an appointment.

“The company regret that Miss Jones suffered serious injuries and regret that it made a mistake in not seeking technical advice for the rope course,” he said.