Canonbury School mourns Frederico Nicholls Lopez's death in snow tragedy

Published: 11 March, 2011
by TERRY MESSENGER

A PRIMARY school was in mourning this week after the death of a five-year-old boy in a tragic accident on a skiing holiday.

Frederico Nicholls Lopez is believed to have been killed by a snow plough at a ski resort in the Spanish Pyrenees.

Canonbury School headteacher Matt Britt expressed his condolences over the death of the pupil.

He said: “It is obviously a very sad time at the school and our thoughts are with the family.”

It is understood that the boy was buried under heaps of snow as the plough driver cleared a path to a chair-lift on February 25. He died in hospital in France on Tuesday.

Law firm Irwin Mitchell issued a statement on Wednesday on behalf of the boy’s parents, Thomas and Ana, about the death of their “wonderful son”. Ana Romero, of Irwin Mitchell, said: “This is an extremely difficult time for Mr and Mrs Nicholls Lopez, who have lost their son Frederico under horrific circumstances.

“The events surrounding his death are now being investigated by the Spanish authorities and the family have instructed us to help them access the information they need to further understand what happened.”

A statement from Islington Council re­leased yesterday (Thursday) said that its education support services were on hand to provide counselling to friends of Frederico at his school in Canonbury Road “to help them cope with these very sad circumstances”.

Labour education chief Councillor Richard Watts said: “On behalf of Islington Council, I’d like to extend my deepest sympathies to Freddy’s family. My thoughts are with them and the whole school community as they try to come to terms with this very great loss.”