Conley Thompson: Construction firm admits safety failings at Barnsley housing development where boy, 7, died

Conley Thompson was found dead on the building site for the Church View housing development, off Bank End Road, Worsbrough, on the morning of July 27, 2015, after he went missing the day before.

The seven-year-old was found wedged in a 23cm-wide black plastic construction pipe where he had become stuck and tragically suffocated.

It is not known when or how Conley accessed the site, or whether he fell in or climbed in before he got stuck.

At Barnsley Magistrates' Court today (March 29), the company responsible for the development, Hawkins Civil Engineering Ltd, pleaded guilty to failing to prevent access to the site and failing to prevent people not employed by them from being exposed to risk.

The court heard how the Church View site was regularly being trespassed by children and adults - but no action was taken to tighten security.

In fact, the perimeter fencing - which was made of wooden panelling like that seen in gardens, rather than metal fencing - was described as "non existent in places, and where it did exist, it was poorly maintained”.

Prosecuting solicitor Mr Andrew McGee said: "There's clear evidence that both adults and children were both frequently gaining access to the site.

"One employee was aware that people were climbing over the fence. A relative of Conley reports she new he had been on the site before with other kids. One child gave significant evidence that he was on the site with Conley before, and on one occasion, a game was made of running over the cages over the black pipes."

The prosecutor said it was "not disputed" Hawkins’ head office didn’t know children were on site - however, no action was taken to prevent further access.

The prosecutor said: "We say there was very significantly substandard perimeter fencing around the site - either it wasn't a suitable height or it was non existent, and where it did exist it was poorly maintained.

"We say the parent company fell far short of the appropriate standard.

"There is no evidence there was any risk assessment.

"It failed to have in place perimeter fencing consistent with industry standard; its perimeters or barriers were inadequate or in places non existent... And it took no action to reduce incursions."

On the day Conley was found, the Church View site was served with an immediate improvement notice to install a new perimeter fence.

Hawkins Civil Engineer's managing director, Michael Howard, was in court during the hearing. The company pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 13(4)(b) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and Section 3 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Their solicitor, Mr James Maxwell-Scott, said: "Conley Thompson's death was a tragedy for his family and friends. The defendant hopes that at the closing of these proceedings, and the fact they have pleaded guilty at the first opportunity will, in some small way, bring a degree of closure to the family."

The company will be sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on May 5, where it is expected to be fined hundreds of thousands of pounds.

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