Inspector’s fears over trampoline that killed girl aged 3

‘Catapulted up to 40ft’

A SAFETY inspector had concerns about a giant inflatable trampoline five days before it exploded and killed a three-year-old girl, an inquest heard yesterday.

Henry Rundle allegedly found the trampoline was overinflated and not properly tied down in a check.

Ava-May Littleboy was catapulted up to 40ft in the explosion at Gorleston Beach in Norfolk and died of severe head injuries in July 2018.

Mr Rundle submitted his report the day after.

Yesterday at the inquest in Norwich, Gisele Johnson, a director of the company that operated the Bounce About fun park, denied any concerns were raised.

She said: ‘He looked around it and jumped on top of it... He shook my hand and I asked him if everything was fine. He said everything was fine.’

Mrs Johnson, 43, of Johnsons Funfairs, refused to answer questions from the coroner including when the trampoline was ordered, who ordered it, whether the new equipment was properly checked to ensure it was safe and how she knew when the apparatus was correctly inflated.

She also refused to say what training had been given to a 15-year-old and an 18-year-old working for the firm at the time. Asked why there was a log of equipment checks for June 30 but not for the day of Ava-May’s death, she refused to answer.

Mrs Johnson, who is from Brazil, claimed in a statement to police she realised the trampoline was over-inflated shortly before it exploded.

The inquest continues.