Overview
- Assistant coroner Ivor Collett delivered the accident ruling on Wednesday at South London Coroner's Court.
- Brooke Wiggins, 12, died in Banstead on November 9, 2024 when a large branch holding a rope swing snapped and crushed her.
- Surrey County Council inspected the tree in May 2022 and advised removing ivy to make later checks easier, but a May 2024 re-inspection did not happen because other sites were prioritized.
- The coroner said there was no sound evidence a May 2024 check would have revealed a dangerous crack or the presence of a rope swing, as the crack was not visible from the ground.
- He declined a Prevention of Future Deaths report, which orders fixes when coroners find ongoing risks, and he rejected posting warning signs about rope swings as likely to work.