An 11-year-old girl suffered serious injuries when she fell from playground equipment the council “knew” had been vandalised.

Danielle Tait was climbing netting at Hornhill play area in Maple Cross on September 18 when “the whole thing came down” – according to her mother Bonnie Mills.

Danielle, who lives in nearby Pinchfield, had to spend the night in Watford General Hospital with a fractured right knee and concussion.

When Miss Mills raised the issue by phone with a grounds maintenance manager at Three Rivers District Council she was told they were aware of “ongoing” vandalism in which bolts were removed.

She said: “They were more than aware this could happen. The park should have been shut.

“They said they knew people had vandalised the park twice in the past, removing bolts so it appears safe to play on. They had reported it to the police.”

Miss Mills added: “I got no answers about what they intended to do, knowing about the problem.

“Their response makes me absolutely crazy. They knew about it. I don’t understand. They didn’t even ask how Danielle was.”

Danielle's fractured knee

 

An email seen by the Watford Observer sent to Miss Mills by the Three Rivers employee after the phone call stated the play area had been checked the day before and was “found to be safe”, but was vandalised “sometime after that” resulting in Danielle’s injury.

Miss Mills asked for verification of checks carried out by the council, but she has not heard back.

The email also confirms Hornhill play area had been tampered with on more than one occasion before and that Danielle’s report together with photos had been sent to the council’s insurance company.

She added: “If people are going into the park and undoing bolts it’s not safe. Something needs to be done to make people aware.

“Could you imagine if she was little, the damage it could have done? The bolts should be more secure so people cannot just come in and take them out.

“I wasn’t going to take this further but when they said they knew about it - I blame them for my daughter’s accident.”

Danielle’s fractured knee means she must wear a cast for six weeks before a follow-up X-ray.

Doctors told Miss Mills to “keep an eye” on her daughter’s concussion.

On September 21, Three Rivers District Council called Danielle's mother to inform her they had decided to close the park to the public “until further notice” and they were working with police to resolve the issue. The park gate has been sealed with a padlock and chain.

In a statement a spokesperson for Three Rivers District Council said: “Three Rivers District Council is deeply concerned about this particular incident of vandalism at Hornhill play area.

“The priority for the council is always to ensure that play areas are safe for children and young people to use and we are proud of the high-quality play facilities within the district.

“As part of ensuring play areas are safe for use, qualified inspectors inspect the play area routinely throughout the week, and this is recorded through a digital monitoring application. Minor incidents of vandalism had taken place at the play area previously, and these were being monitored in partnership with the local police team.

“Sadly, Miss Mills’ daughter was the victim of a particularly malicious act of vandalism, which has resulted in her being seriously injured. The Council has therefore taken the decision to temporarily close the play area while mitigation measures are put into place and will be working directly with the police to try and identify who is responsible for this and would urge anyone with information to contact 101 directly.”

Doctor Steven Halls, chief executive, said: “We utterly condemn this dangerous and reckless criminal damage. As a follow up to this accident, we are considering whether or not to put out to the public an offer of a reward for providing information which leads to a criminal conviction. We shall have discussions with the police over the next few days.”