A 12-year-old girl died after a tree branch fell on her while she played on a rope swing in Banstead, Surrey, an inquest has heard. Brooke Wiggins suffered severe crush injuries and died at the scene on 7 June 2024, just days before her 13th birthday.
The inquest at Surrey Coroner's Court heard that Brooke had been swinging on a branch tied with rope when it broke and trapped her. Friends described the swing as 'unsafe' and said it sat low to the ground. Despite efforts by bystanders and emergency services, it took up to two hours to lift the branch using specialist equipment.
The beech tree was maintained by Surrey County Council and had last been inspected in May 2022. A recommendation to remove ivy to aid future inspection was not carried out. The tree was due for re-inspection in May 2024, which did not occur. The council disputed that an inspection would have prevented the tragedy, but the Health and Safety Executive noted a lack of evidence for a system flagging overdue inspections.
Brooke's father, Lee Wiggins, said: 'If only people had done their job properly… Brooke would still be here.' The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death, with cause of death as blunt force trauma to the chest with traumatic asphyxia.
