Ski centre where boy fatally hurt served with notice to ‘manage’ collision risk

The indoor ski centre where a 12-year-old boy was fatally injured has been served with a health and safety notice to put in place systems “to manage the risk of collision”.

Louis Watkiss, of Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands died after being seriously injured at the SnowDome in Tamworth on Friday evening.

Police were called to reports a child had been seriously injured at the SnowDome at 6.40pm on September 24.

Louis died of his injuries shortly afterwards.

Staffordshire Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances, with support from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

In a statement, the HSE said it was continuing to work with the force, with the police taking “primacy” within the investigation.

It added that the HSE had “served a Prohibition Notice on Snowdome Limited, which prevents the use of the parts of the venue, until (the) HSE is satisfied that systems in place to manage the risk of collision are suitable to address any ongoing risk to the safety of visitors and employees”.

Visitors to the ski centre’s website on Tuesday were being told the site remained closed to the public for now.

A statement from the centre’s operators released over the weekend and published online said: “The SnowDome is to remain temporarily closed following the tragic death of a child on Friday evening.

“The directors and staff are deeply shocked by what happened, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this terrible time.”

It said management were co-operating fully with the investigation and the centre would reopen once investigators had completed their work.