Schedule Changes

[MrDoovdeHaxorz 11]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2010193/Girl-13-crushed-death-branch-sat-park-bench-teachers-went-strike.html

A teenage girl was crushed to death by a falling tree branch as she sat on a park bench.

The 13-year-old, named locally as Sophie Howard, was out with friends as her school was closed because of industrial action.

After the 1ft-thick branch from the poplar tree fell on the schoolgirl from the 50ft tree two doctors from a nearby surgery helped treat her at the scene in Yaxley, Peterborough.

The girl, who has a twin brother, was later taken to hospital but died from her injuries.

Police had last night cordoned off the area of the park where the incident happened. The bench the girl had been sitting on was removed and the branch which fell was cut up and taken away.

An angry parent wrote on Twitter: 'she should have been safe at school, she was just sat on a bench talking with friends....it could have been my daughter.'

Today the chairman of the parish council who manage the park admitted there had been concerns about the safety of the trees in the autumn.

David Kemp, 66, a retired taxi driver who lives on the same estate as Sophie's family, described the twins as 'adorable'.

He said: 'I have been a taxi driver in Yaxley for 25 years and I used to take children to school. They were a lovely and very close family. They were always very polite.

'I remember when Sophie's parents taught her and her twin brother how to ride their bikes. The twins were adorable.

'She was only in the park because the teachers were on strike and the school was closed.

'She was just sat on the bench with some friends. The doctors surgery is only 100 yards away so they rushed out to try and save her, but they couldn't.'

The girl's friends and parents gathered in the park after the accident and waited for an update about her condition before they were later told that she was dead.

Tree tragedy: Sophie Howard was crushed to death after a branch fell from this tree yesterday as she sat on a park bench which has now been removed

Strike day tragedy: Sophie Howard, left, would have normally been in school when disaster struck. Right, a man lies flowers at the scene today

The incident is not being treated as suspicious by police and the incident has been handed over to the coroner.

David Youles said the tree had to have branches cropped in the autumn after concerns about its safety.

He said: 'I can assure you everything possible was done to regularly maintain and inspect all trees in the park.

'There is an enquiry and ongoing police investigation but all our sympathies go to the family of the girl as this was a horrible and nasty incident.

'No one has came to the council to report anything about this tree. We would have a record of any complaint and any councillor would have asked them to put it in writing.'

Sophie's parents Martin, 49, and Laura were today too upset to comment on the tragedy. The family live in a three-bedroomed home in a cul-de-sac in Yaxley.

The girl went to Sawtry Community College which was one of thousands of schools closed yesterday.

In a statement on their website principal James Stewart said children would have to spend the day at home due to the strikes for 'health and safety' reasons.

He said: 'I have to tell you that the circumstances are such that we will not be able to open the College to our students on the 30th June.

Grief: Friends had been laying flowers at the scene following the death yesterday. Parents had gathered at the scene after Sophie was rushed to hospital before they heard she was dead

'Regrettably, this means that you will need to make alternative arrangements for your children on that day.

'My first responsibility is for the health and safety of students attending the College and the Governing Body understand the basis for my decision to close for the day.'

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Police said: 'Officers attended the scene where a girl had been injured by a falling tree branch.

'She was taken to Peterborough City Hospital by ambulance where she later died.

'A cordon has been placed around the site, but it is not being treated as suspicious and the case will now be passed onto the coroner for the girl to be identified.'

Fallen branch: 1ft-thick trunk fell on Sophie Howard as she sat on a bench on a day off from school because of the strike

Yaxley Parish Council councillor Ann Rees described the incident as a terrible tragedy.

She said: 'It is an absolutely awful thing to happen. There were still people in the park but it was very quiet.

'I don't think anybody could believe what has happened to this poor girl. On the park you could just see a cordoned off area and I suppose the people who came down later will have just thought nothing of it.

'The police asked me if we could help them to take some of the tree away, so I went down with another councillor at 4pm and helped them to cut it so it could be taken away.'

:*

Despicable that they're trying to blame the teachers. Funny how DM only ever has the By-Line DAILY MAIL REPORTER...

[DC 84]

it's the tory based media trying to turn the stupid public (the same ones who were brainwashed into voting against labour by the media) against the teachers, and anyone who speaks out against the dictatorship running this country right now. when the firemen and police go on strike, it will be the same. the likes of the daily fail will tell the public stuff like this and say everything is ok, whilst the country is being bought to it's knees right infront of everyone's eyes.

it's a shame for the girl, awful. but she could of got run over on her way to school, accidents can happen. i'm sure the fail are trying to make out that the teachers are fully to blame for her death.

[rosie_posii 10]

This is really sad, but the way that they're blaming it on the teachers strike is ridiculous.

It's called an act of nature Dail Mail. It could have happened to anyone sitting on that bench, and i bet they would have found a group of people to blame.

[DarkAngelMJH 12]

Good god that is a daily fail way of reporting that story. Awful for the girl and family but really nott he teachers fault for striking. Someone else could have been sat there or a kid could have been skiving from school. Idiots.

[TheEpicPlum 10]

Teachers are obliged to strike, depending on their union, surely? Hardly their fault. Working to the age of 68 is terrible. After 55, each year you work takes two years off your life, so the government is basically killing people.

I've heard each side of the story, and I do see both sides. I don't know who I should agree with.

Sad that the girl died.

Dail Fail hire homophobic, ignorant reporters, so I don't like them so much…

[MrDoovdeHaxorz 11]

It is good to see in the comments though that people are saying it's stupid to blame the teachers. Even Fail readers are starting to tire it seems... well the tech/web savvy ones anyways.

[R94N 10]

The strike should not have even been mentioned. It's irrelevant. Anyone who was there could have had the branch fall on them. What a terrible story.

[Viv 14]

I actively despise teachers. So you're getting a much higher pension than the rest of us when you retire, and 6 weeks off in the Summer - Jeremy Vine was saying on R2 the other day teachers come out with a pension pot equivalent to £500,000.00 and they're f* complaining. Piss off and get a proper job, you superior gits.

I was a nanny/au pair once to a teacher, and she was a superior git. Only worked until 4pm, her child was an out-of-control monster, and she even picked her kid up drunk off of the school bus. *

* that's teachers for ya peeps.

[DarkAngelMJH 12]

Not all teachers are like the one you knew Viv. I know I certainly wouldn't want to teach in the slightest. They do a hard job.

[MrDoovdeHaxorz 11]

I actively despise teachers. So you're getting a much higher pension than the rest of us when you retire, and 6 weeks off in the Summer - Jeremy Vine was saying on R2 the other day teachers come out with a pension pot equivalent to £500,000.00 and they're f* complaining. Piss off and get a proper job, you superior gits.

I was a nanny/au pair once to a teacher, and she was a superior git. Only worked until 4pm, her child was an out-of-control monster, and she even picked her kid up drunk off of the school bus. *

* that's teachers for ya peeps.

Yep, that's stereotyping for ya peeps...

Especially the massive factual innacuracy about 'only working until 4PM', even if you ignore that most day's they'll be at work before a lot of people are getting up, that may be when the little b***ards leave their care, but there's plenty of admin and planning related stuff, not to mention marking of the kid's work etc which they probably do at home.

[kizmok 10]

I actively despise teachers. So you're getting a much higher pension than the rest of us when you retire, and 6 weeks off in the Summer - Jeremy Vine was saying on R2 the other day teachers come out with a pension pot equivalent to £500,000.00 and they're f* complaining. Piss off and get a proper job, you superior gits.

I was a nanny/au pair once to a teacher, and she was a superior git. Only worked until 4pm, her child was an out-of-control monster, and she even picked her kid up drunk off of the school bus. *

* that's teachers for ya peeps.

You've really not got a clue. What a lot of nonsense, it's actually laughable! If teaching is so easy, the pension is so good etc then why are you not a teacher? Honestly, ignorance doesn't come much greater than this.

[Viv 14]

Considering all that was said on jeremy vine's show the other day and the eventual pensions you will get, i do wish i had gone into teaching. my hours have been cut for the past two years now, and you think i and many other genuine workers should feel sympathy for you.

[E*F*4L 10]

the girl should have been at school, it's as simply as that, all the teachers are doing by going on strike is effecting children's education & making life worse for parents which some of didn't know until the day before that they themselves would have to take a day off to look after their children that should have been at school.

what should have been arranged is that every child effected by the strike should have traveled by coach to the union HQ & sat down in front of it, the leaders of the unions are no different to the fat cat bankers, in fact they are worse because at least the bankers are honest (sort of) about what they do, all the union bosses do is try & justify their huge salaries & pensions, the Labour party brought in "where there's blame there's a claim" well the teachers who should have been teaching the girl & the union boss representing them should be tried, convicted & jailed for involuntary manslaughter.

if i were in charge all public pensions would be stopped & they would have to pay into a private pension like the rest of us in the private sector where most employers don't even contribute into a workers pension scheme, workers in the public sector have had it to good for to long.

[Viv 14]

Hear hear. Best post. In these difficult times we have all had enough. All it comes down to is GREED. Greedy teachers stuffing their greedy faces. isnt there a saying as well 'those who can't do, teach'.

[DC 84]

but it's easy to listen to the tory based media put a spin on things. their job is to turn the public against anyone who stands up against the government, and it's working. it's easy to bicker about the teachers wages but there is a wider issue here. the fact is the teachers are trying to stand up to the bastards who are going to chop the legs off more or less every worker in this country over the next 4 years.

i'll bet the next lot who they will be tampering with is the fire service and police force, and the papers will find another side excuse to turn the public against them too.

[Viv 14]

Fair point too.

I've been looking more into this "teaching" dilemma this morning, and it seems (according to one article), teachers have misunderstood the entire thing - it seems even though they have to PAY more they will STILL come out with more.

Wish I could find the bloody article now. Found it on my phone first thing. DAMN.

Seems it's a big teaching "fuss" over nothing. Typical teachers. So superior, they haven't even looked properly at the situation. Still agree with Alan.... it's the kids who suffer for these silly strikes, with one already dead.

[Jono 55]

Did I just see a post from Alan agreeing with the Daily Mail? :shock:

[MrDoovdeHaxorz 11]

Did I just see a post from Alan agreeing with the Daily Mail? :shock:

Yep, the paper he claims to hate, yet has a subscription to? go figure.

[Viv 14]

Yep, it's easy to start on Alan just because you don't agree with the way this topic is going........ !! :-)

[MrDoovdeHaxorz 11]

what way it's going? Most of us agree the teachers are NOT to blame except for you who seem to have a huge grudge and haven't answered points made to counter yours.

[Viv 14]

I have indeed answered. The teachers themselves haven't even understood the situation.... the kids have to suffer because of their incompetence and actions..... agree with everything Alan has to say really? pretty much .... end of, I guess !!

Every time Alan agrees with the Daily Mail, it becomes "jump on Alan" week. I agree with it too.

[Jono 55]

Yep, it's easy to start on Alan just because you don't agree with the way this topic is going........ !! :-)

That was a joke, Viv

Coincidentally though I thought the figures in the newspapers yesterday shows public support for the strikes. 49% of News of the World readers believed they were right to strike, compared to 45% who thought they were wrong. I don't think the support is as "limited" as the government had hoped.

With regards to teachers, I certainly wouldn't want to be taught PE by a 70 year old!

[Viv 14]

News of the World !! The porn paper !! I can't even believe they can calculate statistics !! At least if it had come from the Guardian it would have been half way credible.

45% and 49% .... so what are the remaining 6% doing? Or is this teachers lying in their beds pretending to be "marking". You may get 6 weeks off in Summer for "marking", Xmas holidays, Easter.... but you can stop, mark, lesson plan, do something else, and still get out in the sun. Us lesser mortals have to do a very genuine day's hard work on top of daily chores.

At least this topic has brought people out of the woodworm (edit: sorry, woodwork). It's about time this place was lively again !!

[Viv 14]

With regards to teachers, I certainly wouldn't want to be taught PE by a 70 year old!

Have to agree with this one.

[MrDoovdeHaxorz 11]

*still waiting for a reply to my counter about how these 'bastards' 'finish at 4PM' just because that's when the little darlings get turfed out... when fact is they're probably at work before most people and often working a lot at home too*