Ban bouncy castles, says senior Tory MP
Safety fears over inflatable attractions after children injured in collapse of ‘flimsy’ slide in Surrey
Bouncy castles and inflatables should be banned in the wake of a slide collapse that injured eight children, a senior MP has said. Robert Halfon, the Tory MP for Harlow, called for a temporary ban until regulations could be updated. His intervention came after eight children fell from an inflatable slide at a fireworks display in Woking Park in Surrey on Saturday evening. Seven have since been discharged from hospital but one remained yesterday for observation.
BOUNCY castles and inflatables should be banned in the wake of a slide collapse that injured eight children, a senior MP has said.
Robert Halfon, a former minister and Tory MP for Harlow, has called on the Government to issue a temporary ban until regulations can be updated.
His intervention comes after eight children fell from an inflatable slide at a fireworks display in Woking Park in Surrey on Saturday evening.
Seven have since been discharged from hospital but one remained yesterday for observation, though the injuries are “not believed to be significant”.
Earlier this year, a three-year-old girl died after being thrown from an inflatable trampoline in Norfolk, and in 2016 a girl aged seven died after a bouncy castle broke free in high winds in Harlow, Essex.
Mr Halfon told BBC 5 Live: “I reiterate my urge to the Government that they should have a temporary ban on inflatables and bouncy castles in public places until all the regulations we know have been updated. Twenty injuries since 2011, we’ve had two tragic deaths – the time for just looking at it is over.”
The ban would be “until we know for sure that they’re safe and no parent has to ever worry again”, he said.
A helicopter and several ambulances attended the Surrey incident and yesterday the funfair remained under police cordon as the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) began investigating.
Andy Datson, 23, a witness, said he saw up to 40 children playing on the “flimsy” slide, about 30ft tall.
“We had been walking past the slide earlier in the night and said it looked unsafe. It looked pretty flimsy to say the least,” he said. “There were far too many kids on it. It didn’t look like it could hold that many.”
David Munro, the police and crime commissioner for Surrey, said the incident “could have been so much worse”, adding: “We will not just be looking at the incident itself but also the events leading up to it. Was it down to the ride safety precautions or too many people on the ride?”
Michael Holden, of Woking District Rotary Club, which organised the event, said: “We have used this funfair operator for a number of years. We have never had any problems before. [The operator] is as upset as we are. We are very shocked and distressed.”
Joe Mercer, general secretary of the Showmen’s Guild, told the BBC: “This slide has up-to-date test certificates and insurance documents; these have been provided to police.”
The Daily Telegraph approached the HSE yesterday to ask if it was reviewing the rules governing safety of bouncy castles. The Department for Work and Pensions, which oversees the work of the HSE, was also approached for comment. Neither had responded at the time of going to press.
Separately, three people were injured on Saturday night when a giant teacup came loose from a ride at Leeds Castle in Kent and launched into a crowd of people.