Investigation to look at death of four-year-old in cemetery
PLUS: Conversion of ordinary houses into children's homes comes under the microscope
Hello and welcome to The Lancashire Lead.
Today we report on the investigation into the death of a four-year-old boy in Lancashire after a gravestone fell in a cemetery in Rawtenstall.
The story, understandably, had far-reaching impact with people who read what had happened affected - but nobody will be more affected than those who knew the child.
While police are not investigating the incident as a crime, an investigation will still be undertaken that will look at how it happened and what could’ve been done to prevent. We have the latest on how all that works.
Through Lancashire Constabulary, the family of the child asked that their privacy be respected. With that in mind, we have elected not to publish the images of the child that are circulating.
We also report on calls to toughen the rules that govern the conversion of ordinary houses in children’s homes.
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Police and government body investigating after four-year-old killed by falling gravestone
By Luke Beardsworth
An investigation will take place after a four-year-old boy was killed by a falling gravestone at a Lancashire cemetery.
Lancashire Constabulary were called to Rawtenstall Cemetery at 1pm on Saturday (5 July) after reports that a gravestone had fallen onto a child.
The boy, a four-year-old named Eli Testa, was killed in the incident which has understandably shocked a community. Over £14,000 has been raised by the local community to support his bereaved family after one family member set up a GoFundMe.
An inquest will take place in the future to determine the circumstances of his death, although no date has been set. While police have said that his death is not being treated as suspicious, the inquest will aim to determine what failures, if any, contributed to his death.
Rawtenstall Cemetery is managed by Rossendale Council.
They said in a statement on Saturday: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of a young child at Rawtenstall Cemetery today. Our thoughts are with the family at this devastating time.
“Rossendale Borough Council is working with all relevant agencies to understand the circumstances of this incident.”
The Lancashire Lead has learned that the investigation will be led by the Health and Safety Executive, working with Lancashire Constabulary.
A spokesperson for the HSE said: “We are investigating alongside Lancashire Police.”
The upkeep of gravestones at cemeteries in Rossendale is generally left to family members of the bereaved.
However, Rossendale Council maintains overall responsibility for the safety of the site, including the headstones, under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974.
This requires all burial authorities to ensure that memorials are kept safe so that the chance of injury for those visiting and working in cemeteries is reduced.
Safety testing is typically required to assess whether memorials can withstand reasonable pressure - for example if someone was to slip and use a memorial to steady themselves.
Rossendale Council warns that if a memorial poses a danger to the public then it may be temporarily laid down or cordoned off.
The Lancashire Lead asked a number of questions of Rossendale Council but did not receive a response.
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