The parents of a Newcastle six-year-old killed by a falling tree in her school playground say they are “devastated beyond words” by her tragic death.
Ella Henderson was crushed underneath a falling willow at Gosforth Park First School in September 2020 as she played with friends at lunchtime. On Tuesday, Newcastle City Council was fined £280,000 after pleading guilty to failings that led to the young girl’s death.
It was found that the local authority had failed to properly identify the poor state of the tree or manage the risk it posed, with the Health and Safety Executive calling the harrowing incident “entirely avoidable”. Ella’s parents, Neil and Vikki Henderson, paid tribute to their beloved daughter and called for lessons to be learned so that other families do not have to endure the same fate.
