Surrey Council Failed to Inspect Tree Before 12-Year-Old Brooke Wiggins Died

A 12-year-old girl was killed by a falling branch while playing on a rope swing that Surrey County Council policy indicated should have been removed, an inquest has been told.

Brooke Wiggins was fatally injured at Grove Place in Banstead, Surrey, on 9 November 2024, days before her 13th birthday. The tree, under council maintenance, had not undergone inspection since May 2022. A re-inspection scheduled for May 2024 did not occur.

Representing Brooke's father, Lee Wiggins, solicitor Christian Weaver contended that had proper checks been conducted, the authority should have removed the swing. However, council representatives stated that expert evidence suggested an inspection might not have led to a "material different outcome."

Brooke's mother, Claire Etherington, described her daughter as a "beautiful, fun, caring and loving girl" with "so much potential" in a statement read to the court. Mr Wiggins expressed his devastation, questioning if his daughter would still be alive had "people done their job properly."

The inquest continues.