£30,000 FINE FOR PUTTING CHILDREN AT RISK

 

Dicing with death in skimpy clothes

For as long as I can remember, many hundreds of  people have put themselves and others at risk by tackling  Lake District peaks in skimpy clothes and skimpy footwear.

Dicing with death  in this way  was often followed by innumerable but well-deserved howls of criticism by coroners, police and mountain rescuers.

But for some reason, that dire situation  continued year after year. Things never seemed to get better.Skimpy remained the only order of the day for a big minority venturing on the fells.

So it was so refreshing to read that Newcastle  magistrates had  fined a school £30,000 for putting pupils` lives at risk on Helvellyn.The pupils were inadequately clad and did not have the proper equipment, the court was told.

This story  was little different  to the hundreds of other stories told at inquests and other enquiries in  past years, except that a government body, the Health and Safety Executive which brought the case. now appears to be tackling the  problem.

Hopefully, this apparent new interest by the safety body,  together with  Newcastle magistrates` welcome judgement will be a  sufficicient warning to  those future climbers and ramblers continuing to dice with death.

But this is a deep-seated problem.

So, don`t hold your breath!

 

  Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation publishes this blog. Information about the Federation is available on 01228 52227