Child safety in the news

4th September 2010

Birthday girl hurt in Melksham barbecue gas explosion

A 13-year-old girl suffered serious burns when a gas cylinder exploded during her birthday barbecue in Wiltshire. Read more...

 

1st September 2010

Girl, 5, killed by her father's pills

A GIRL of five died of a drug overdose after mistaking her father’s yellow and green painkillers for jelly beans, an inquest heard yesterday. Read more...

Two teenagers die after car plunges down 20ft embankment and lands on its roof in lake

Two teenagers died when the car they were travelling in plunged 20ft down an embankment, flipped over and landed in a lake on its roof. Read more...

 

31st August 2010

Anglesey boy,14, impaled on garden fence

AN ANGLESEY boy had to be cut free by fire fighters after he was impaled through the wrist by a metal bar on a fence in his back garden. Read more...

 

28th August 2010

Drowned Boy Was On Psychiatric Unit Trip

A 17-year-old boy who drowned at sea while trying to rescue his friend was on an outing from a psychiatric unit. Read more...

 

27th August 2010

Toddler dies after being found in pond in Cumbria

A toddler has died after being found in a pond in the grounds of his mother's home in Cumbria, police said. The 23-month-old boy was found unconscious in the pond in Stank by his mother. Read more...

 

5th August 2010

Mother held over son's dryer death

The mother of a four-year-old boy who was found dead in a tumble-dryer has been arrested on suspicion of child neglect, it emerged yesterday. Read more...

 

4th August 2010

Carbon monoxide suspected as two teenagers found dead

Two 18-year-olds have died following a suspected carbon monoxide leak in Castlerock, County Londonderry. Read more...

 

2nd August 2010

Tragedy of farm boy, 4, hit by car

A FAMILY is grieving after their four-year-old son died when he was hit by a car on a farm. Read more...

 

1st August 2010

Girls injured in stove explosion at park near Kettering

Two children have been airlifted to hospital after suffering serious burn injuries after a camping stove exploded at a family theme park. Read more...

Boy, six, locks himself in boot of mum's BMW car

Fire-fighters spent more than 45 minutes rescuing a six-year-old boy who locked himself in the boot of his parents' car with the only set of keys. Read more...


31st July 2010

British girl, 9, dies in Turkish rafting accident

A British schoolgirl has died in a white-water rafting accident on holiday in Turkey. Read more...

 

30th July 2010

Girl dies after balcony fall in Majorca

A 17-year-old girl from Lancashire has died nearly a fortnight after falling seven floors from an apartment balcony in Spain. Read more...


29th July 2010

Boy, 10, Arrested Over Kent Road Crash Death

A 10-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after a man died in a road crash. Read more...

 

28th July 2010

Boy, 14, drowns in sea off Blackpool

A 14-year-old boy has drowned after getting into difficulties in the sea by Blackpool's Central Pier, police said. Read more...

Race drivers jailed after young rugby star killed

Two teenage drivers have been jailed for a total of nine years after a 90mph race along a twisting Scottish road ended in the death of a talented young rugby player. Read more...

College student crushed under train after slipping in high heels

A college student was killed in front of her best friend after slipping in her high heels as she ran along a rail platform and falling under a train. Read more...


27th July 2010

Boy, 4, found dead in tumble dryer

A four-year-old boy died after he climbed into a tumble dryer during a game of hide and seek. Read more...

 

22nd July 2010

Father told son, 15, to 'stop drinking beer' at wedding shortly before he was knocked down and killed on motorway

A schoolboy killed after being struck by five vehicles on the M23 motorway had walked out of a family wedding when his father told him to stop drinking beer. Read more...

 

21st July 2010

Drowned Hampshire boy 'not seen in murky garden pond'

The parents of a three-year-old boy who drowned in their garden pond failed to spot him at the bottom of the murky water, an inquest has heard. Read more...

Peril under a parasol: Beach shades will not keep off the sun's deadly rays

Sitting under a beach umbrella will not stop you from getting sunburnt, experts are warning. Up to a third of cancer-causing UV rays still reach the skin even when you are sitting in the shade. Read more...


19th July 2010

Teenage pedestrian killed on motorway

A schoolboy died after being hit by several cars, including an unmarked police car and an ambulance, on a motorway. Scott Turner, 15, was is thought to have left a wedding celebration following a row with his father before he wandered onto the M23 near Crawley, West Sussex. Read more...

Science block sealed as Tyneside pupils fall ill

Twenty pupils have been taken to hospital after becoming ill during a science lesson on Tyneside. The emergency services were called to Valley Gardens Middle School, in North Tyneside, amid fears there had been a gas leak on Monday. Read more...

 

17th July 2010

Boy, 9, dies in swing rope accident in Bishops Waltham

A nine-year-old boy has died in an accident while playing on a swing in the garden of his home in Hampshire. Read more...

 

16th July 2010

Coroner rules Cornwall hotel balcony fall 'accidental'

A teenager who suffered fatal injuries after falling from a hotel balcony in Cornwall died as a result of an accident, an inquest has heard. Read more...

 

15th July 2010

Leicester lamp electric shock boy 'saved by shoes'

A mother has spoken of her horror at seeing her son get an electric shock from a broken pavement light. Sarah Stone, of Leicester, said two-year-old Tyler needed hospital treatment to burns after touching loose wires on the 3ft (one metre) high lamp. Read more...

 

14th July 2010

Teenagers rescued from Newquay cove in rising tide

Eight teenagers from Oxford had to be rescued by the RNLI after getting cut-off by the tide on a Cornish beach. The six boys and two girls, who were all 16, were cut off between Great Western and Towan Beaches. Read more...

Coroner writes to council over girl's Wootton death

A coroner has said she will write to the local authority about the lack of warning signs on a Northamptonshire road where a teenager was killed. Read more...

Giving children medicine with teaspoon 'risks overdose'

Parents have been warned not to give their children medicine using an ordinary teaspoon because of the risk of overdose. A study found that teaspoons vary from a capacity of 2.5ml to 7.3ml, meaning children could be receiving an inaccurate dose. Read more...

 

8th July 2010

Skateboard boy dies after Hurstpierpoint crash

An 11-year-old boy has died in hospital after he was hit by a car while riding a skateboard in West Sussex. Read more...

Amazing recovery of toddler with 32% burns on his face who healed with NO scars thanks to revolutionary treatment

Isambard Ebbutt's suffered horrific burns when he poured a cup of scalding tea over his head as a baby.
But despite not having a single skin graft, he is almost unrecognisable nearly two years later. Read more...


7th July 2010

Girl airlifted to hospital after Ravenscraig castle cliff fall

A nine-year-old girl was airlifted to hospital after falling 50 feet down a cliff in Kirkcaldy. Read more...

 

6th July 2010

Second child in a week crushed to death by automatic gates

Karolina Maria Golabek, five, of Bridgend, South Wales, became stuck in the waist-high black metal gate at the entrance to the Brook Court flats complex in Bridgend on Saturday afternoon. Read more...

 

5th July 2010

Should the Schonrock children be allowed to cycle to school alone?

As Oliver and Gillian Schonrock are warned that they could be reported to social services for allowing their children to cycle to school alone, two Telegraph writers debate the issue. Read more...

The nursery that teaches its pupils to boldly go

One Nottingham kindergarten finds taking risks is educational. Read more...


4th July 2010

Call to ban rugby scrums in schools

Rugby scrums should be banned in schools to protect children involved in a sport which is "not safe enough" for them, an expert has warned. Read more...

 

2nd July 2010

Speeding drivers face grilling from primary schoolchildren

Motorists speeding outside a school were pulled over by the police and immediately put before a panel of schoolchildren to explain their actions. Read more...


1st July 2010

Grieving family warn parents to be vigilant

The family of a toddler who strangled himself on the novelty bunk bed he shared with his younger brother have warned parents to be vigilant when buying furniture. Read more...

Shock at Anglesey fire deaths of detective and her sons

A community has been speaking of its shock after a police officer and her two young sons died in a bungalow fire. Read more...

Born free - now they're wrapped in cotton wool.

How children who swam with hippos have been left deflated in risk-averse Britain. Read more...


30th June 2010

Mother sees girl, six, crushed by gate in Manchester

A six-year-old girl died after becoming trapped in an electric gate in Manchester as her mother watched on helplessly. Read more...

 

29th June 2010

Girl dies saving her brother on their mother’s birthday

A 14-year-old girl knocked down and killed when she ran into the road to save her little brother died on her mother's birthday, her family said today. Read more...

Helen was holding her sister's hand when she was killed by a car

Here she tells why it's taken 33 years to start grieving. Read more...

 

28th June 2010

Drunken mother-of-three caught driving... with FIVE children in the back of her car

Horrified CCTV operators helped stop a drunken a mother-of-three after spotting her leaving a pub and driving off in a people carrier with five children in the back. Read more...

An open verdict has been recorded into the death of a teenager who was killed falling from cliffs in Newquay.

Paddy Higgins, of Winnersh, Berkshire, died on 6 July 2009 after falling down cliffs above Tolcarne Beach. The 16-year-old had been with friends and was celebrating the end of his GCSEs. Tests showed he was three times over the legal drink-drive limit. Read more...

The family of a canoeist who died in the Lake District have described him as a lovely, outgoing lad.

Chad Salisbury, 18, of Leyland, Lancashire, failed to re-surface after overturning 650ft (200m) from the shore at Ullswater on Saturday. Read more...


27th June 2010

Toddler hanged himself on trampoline after putting on tie 'to play daddy', an inquest heard.

Corey Oakes was found suspended on the garden trampoline with a tie around his neck and the other end stuck in the steel frame. Read more...


24th June 2010

UK road deaths fall to record low

The number of people killed on British roads last year reached a record low, according to government statistics. Read more...

Teenager dies after South Yorkshire lake search

A 15-year-old boy has died after being found by police divers in a lake in South Yorkshire. Read more...

Spanish train kills 12 on tracks near Barcelona

A high-speed train passing through a Spanish railway station has hit a group of young people crossing the tracks, killing at least 12 people. Read more...

 

23rd June 2010

Blind cord safety campaign starts

The parents of a toddler who died after becoming entangled in a window blind cord are backing a safety campaign highlighting their dangers. Read more...

Family's border collie leaps into car and mauls baby, 7 months, who nearly loses a leg

A baby of seven months was mauled by his family's pet sheepdog after it jumped through an open car window and on to his booster seat. Read more...

Boy died after getting neck caught on rope swing

A 10-year-old boy died when a prank on a rope swing went wrong, an inquest heard. Read more...


21st June 2010

Backless car booster cushions 'do not offer children enough protection'

Consumer organisation Which? says many parents are neglecting their children's safety in the car. Read more...


20th June 2010

Boy, 13, drowns trying to save friend in Glasgow river

A 13-year-old boy has drowned after jumping into a river to save a friend. Declan Shanley, from Summerston in Glasgow, was swept away by a strong current in the River Kelvin, near the West of Scotland Science Park. Read more...

 

16th June 2010

Children's petting farms face tough new rules

There should be no ban on children petting animals on farms but more must be done to protect them from infection, an inquiry has concluded. Read more...

 

15th June 2010

Vetting and barring scheme put on hold

Government will review plans to register staff and volunteers with the Independent Safeguarding Authority. Read more...

Government child safety adviser Sir Roger Singleton resigns

Sir Roger Singleton has resigned from his position as the government's chief adviser on child safety, after Professor Eileen Munro revealed plans for her review of children's social work. Read more...

Teenager dies jumping into Somerset quarry

A teenager has died after he jumped into a water-filled disused quarry in Somerset. The 19-year-old, named locally as Dean Mason, had been at Holcombe Quarry with friends on Saturday when he is thought to have "tombstoned" and failed to resurface. Read more...

Kids Rescued After Scrawling 'Help' In Car

Social services have investigated two children who were said to have scrawled a "help" message to passers-by as they were trapped in a hot car for up to an hour. Read more...


14th June 2010

Health and safety laws to be reviewed by government

The government is promising to put a check on the "growth of compensation culture" by setting up a review of health and safety laws. Read more...

Health and safety review to address curbs on play

The government has launched a review into the so-called "compensation culture" following a series of high-profile health and safety decisions such as banning conkers from school playgrounds. Read more...

Boy hit by train as he listened to iPod

A teenager was killed when he stepped into the path of a train while listening to his iPod. Read more...

Petting zoos under threat following health inquiry

Petting zoos and family days out are under threat following a new health inquiry. Read more...


13th June 2010

Plymouth girl crushed under car wheel remains serious

A two-year-old girl is still seriously ill in hospital after she was crushed under the wheel of a car in Devon. Read more...

Boy pulled unconscious from Hampshire country club pool

A two-year-old boy is in a critical condition in hospital after being pulled unconscious from a swimming pool at a Hampshire hotel. Read more...


10th June 2010

Woman held after boy found in Hanham pond dies

A two-year-old boy has died after being discovered in a garden pond in South Gloucestershire. Read more...

Ikea recalls over 3 million window blinds

Ikea is recalling more than 3 million window blinds in the U.S. after a child nearly strangled on one of the cords. Read more...

 

8th June 2010

Teenager burst into flames after being hit with 11,000-volt electric shock as he stole power cable

A teenager set himself on fire when he got an electric shock from an 11,000-volt copper cable he was trying to steal. Read more...

Fourteen pupils hurt in school bus crash

Fourteen children were taken to hospital after their coach crashed on a roundabout near Folkestone during a school trip. Read more...

 

7th June 2010

Mother's 'nightmare' after baby twins 'mauled' by fox

The mother of nine-month-old twin girls has described her "living nightmare" after her daughters were apparently mauled by a fox as they slept in their cots in east London. Read more...

 

6th June 2010

Boy Drowns Celebrating Eighth Birthday

An eight-year-old boy has drowned after falling into a river while celebrating his birthday in North Yorkshire. Read more...

Father dies rescuing daughter from Machynlleth river

A father has died while trying to rescue his daughter from the river near Pantperthog, in Machynlleth, Powys. Read more...

 

5th June 2010

Teenager killed in Buttermere fall

A teenager has died after falling 60ft (18m) near Buttermere in the Lakes. Read more...

 

2nd June 2010

Boy airlifted from Isles of Scilly after thrown by cart

A teenage boy has been airlifted from the Isles of Scilly after sustaining serious head injuries when he was thrown from a horse-drawn cart. Read more...

Boy, 5, dies after father leaves him in hot car for eight hours

A five-year-old boy has died in Cyprus after being left for eight hours in a locked car by his father, a doctor who rushed to a medical emergency. Read more...


1st June 2010

Pupil falls through Clayton Hall school roof

A 16-year-old boy is in a critical condition after falling through the roof of a school in Staffordshire. Read more...

 

28th May 2010

The day I hit a child at 20mph – and realised the speed limit must be cut

In an impassioned appeal, Dr Nick Foreman remembers the near-fatal accident that convinced him of the need to stop motorists driving at 30mph in built-up area. Read more...

Sir David Attenborough laments health and safety rules that stops children roaming countryside

Sir David Attenborough has lamented the health and safety culture that is preventing children from 'roaming the countryside' discovering nature. Read more...

 

26th May 2010

Thatcham boy's ice plunge death ruled 'accidental'

A schoolboy who died two weeks after falling through ice on a frozen pond died accidentally, a coroner has ruled. Read more...

Investigation after baby suffers 40% burns on beach

Police and social services were investigating today after a five-month-old baby suffered 40% burns after being left in the sun on one of the hottest days of the year. Read more...

25 babies died while sleeping with adults on sofa

At least 25 babies in Britain have died while sleeping with an adult on a sofa over the past two years, new figures show. Read more...

 

25th May 2010

Council cleared over boy's cave drowning death in Dales

A council has been found not guilty of breaching health and safety laws over the death of a boy who drowned on a school caving trip. Read more...

Britain's first scooter proficiency course launched

Britain’s first scooter proficiency course has been launched amid growing concerns over the safety of children choosing to “scoot” to school. Read more...

 

24th May 2010

Three die in school coach crash in Cumbria

Teenage pupils and car driver killed, and 35 others injured in Lakeland collision. Read more...

Swimmer, 19, goes missing at lake

A search was under way last night after a 19-year-old swimmer was reported missing at a lake. Police said the teenager got into difficulty while bathing with friends at lower Lough Erne, in County Fermanagh. Read more...


23rd May 2010

Schoolboy, 12, dies after falling into dock as he plays with his friend

A 12-year-old boy died yesterday after he fell into a deep-water dock on the Thames as he played with a friend. Read more...

Devon swimmers get advice after stranding off Plymouth

A group of swimmers have been given safety advice when they had to be rescued after getting stuck on an island off the Devon coast. Read more...


20th May 2010

Five-year-olds clean eyesore hill after task deemed 'too dangerous' for criminals doing community service.

As a clean-up job, it involved a little light weeding and the addition of some new chalk. But a project to restore a modern hill carving of a giant hawk has been deemed 'too dangerous' to be carried out by criminals carrying out community service. Read more...

 

19th May 2010

Thirty children on a packed school bus survived a horrific road crash

THIRTY children on a packed school bus survived a horrific road crash which killed two adults including their male driver yesterday afternoon. Read more...

 

17th May 2010

Girl, 16, killed by train as she tried to retrieve dog

British Transport Police said Natasha Jennifer Elliott died when she was hit just outside Morley station, near Leeds, on Sunday while trying to retrieve her dog from the tracks. Read more...

Health and safety checks for all families, says Nice

Inspections should be carried out on every household to make sure families are keeping children safe, according to government guidance. Read more...

Parents 'more worried about murder than obesity' threat

The number of children walking to school has fallen Parents worry more about their children being murdered than much more widespread health problems such as obesity, a survey suggests. Read more...

Boy killed in Smethwick shop crash identified

A 15-year-old boy who died after being trapped against a shop front in Smethwick, West Midlands, by a crashed car has been identified. Read more...


13th May 2010

Climbing trees and snowball fights 'should be encouraged by schools'

Children’s confidence and independence is being eroded by the health and safety culture in schools, according to a leading headmaster. Read more...

Llangollen crash survivor Zara Roberts is top learner

A woman who overcame a car crash, multiple injuries and brain damage to become a teacher has been named Wales' adult learner of the year. Read more...

Bath accident claims baby's life

Police have launched an investigation into the circumstances of a baby's "tragic" death at a house in Lockerbie. Read more...

Boy has 50% burns after barbecue 'fireball' in Dorset

A teenager has been left with 50% burns after he was engulfed in flames at a barbecue in Dorset. Read more...

Toddler's office fall death was 'tragic accident'

The death of a toddler who fell from the first-floor balcony of an Edinburgh office was a "tragic accident", a fatal accident inquiry has concluded. Read more...


11th May 2010

Boy, three, drowns in family's garden pond

A three-year-old boy drowned in his family's garden pond during a children's party. Read more...

Teenager's fall from cliff in Spain was 'avoidable'

The leaders of a walking expedition could have done more to prevent the death of a teenager who fell 1,000ft from a cliff in Spain, a coroner said. Read more...


10th May 2010

Cameras help combat 'lollipop rage' in part of Somerset

Lollipop ladies and men in Bath and North East Somerset are to have cameras fixed to the poles of their signs to catch reckless drivers on film. Read more...

Pin the tail on the donkey falls victim to health and safety fears

The traditional children's party game pin the tail on the donkey is under threat because parents consider it a health and safety risk. Read more...


6th May 2010

Maclaren agrees to compensate UK children injured by pushchair hinges

Fold-up pushchair manufacturer agrees payouts for UK children, many of whom suffered amputations or lost parts of fingers. Read more...

Teenager dies in summerhouse after wood-burning stove leaks carbon monoxide

A teenager who moved into a summerhouse in his parents’ garden for more independence died from carbon monoxide poisoning from a wood-burning stove he and his father fitted, an inquest heard. Read more...

Man dies in 100ft fall during cliff top party

A University student fell 100ft to his death during a party held near a cliff-top in Cornwall. Read more...

 

4th May 2010

Thomas Cook staff cleared over Corfu child deaths

Two holiday firm representatives have been cleared of manslaughter after a brother and sister died of carbon monoxide poisoning in Corfu. Read more...

 

3rd May 2010

Teenage Sea Cadet dies after fall from training ship

The 14-year-old died after falling from the rigging of a training ship during a celebration weekend to mark the organisation's 150th anniversary. Read more...

School mourns boy killed in quad bike accident

Robert McAlister, nine, was a 'sporty lad' who was passionate about quad biking, says headteacher. Read more...

 

2nd May 2010

19-year-old Midlands teen drowns in River Trent

The mum of a drowned Midland teen has hit out at the ‘lack of warning signs’ at the spot where her son died. Read more...

Youth saves OAP in river

A Schoolboy has been hailed a hero after rescuing an OAP from a Midland river. Read more...

Boy of 6 starts blaze

A house has been badly damaged in a blaze started by a six-year-old Midland boy. Read more...

 

Archive