Lessons must be learned, but Obby Oss must be allowed to go on

THERE are always lessons to be learned after a tragedy like the death of Laura Smallwood, a spectator at the Padstow Obby Oss May Day parade who lost her life after she was struck by the heavy costume in the resort’s packed streets.

So coroner Andrew Cox’s recommendations, that the Government should make it compulsory for such events to have an organiser and that police powers should be extended to enable them to stop a dangerous situation developing, make sense.

But it would be a great shame if incidents like this – terribly sad as they are – mean that such events, which are so important in the cultural and community life of the Westcountry, could no longer take place.

As Mr Cox points out, he is not suggesting such a thing. “I have no wish to be Job’s comforter or to be the manifestation of a nanny state,” he told the concluding day of the three-day hearing at Truro yesterday. “I want May Day to continue, and I want it to flourish.”

That, surely, will be a sentiment widely shared. And striking a balance between safety and the continuation of traditional events like this must be the priority.

The Westcountry plays host to many such occasions, from Ottery St Mary’s Tar Barrel rolling to the numerous fairs and shows which bring people into close contact with potential risks, from flaming pitch to unpredictable livestock.

Over the years, improvements in safety at almost all of these events have been made. And it would be next to impossible to eradicate all the potential dangers. There does seem to be room for improvement at Obby Oss, however. As the coroner pointed out in his conclusion to the inquest, the built-in rivalry between the two Osses and their organising committees is a recipe for confusion.

Mr Cox said it was “far from ideal” that the contact between the committees was limited. He also called into question the fact that a padlocked gate prevented a first responder attending the emergency and that there was no arrangements – in a crowd up to 20,000 strong – to reunite lost children with their parents.

The shock and grief surrounding this incident in Padstow is bound to make the organisers think carefully about how this year’s event should run – now just a few weeks away.

It would be a great shame, however, if the essential nature of the parade were to be lost. We are sure that is not what Ms Smallwood’s family and friends would want, either. By all accounts, she was a great supporter of the parade.

Some criticise events when they become “sanitised” over time, but the vast majority of safety measures introduced into most aspects of public life have had a beneficial effect. Deaths and injuries at everything from sporting events to carnivals have been falling for decades.

The tragic death of Laura Smallwood was, as the coroner concluded yesterday, a terrible accident. It will be of little comfort to her loved ones, but it was almost certainly a freakish one-off, as a result of an unfortunate combination of events. Steps must be taken to reduce the risk of a repeat. But the show must go on.