Islington News: Frances Middleton | Louis Middleton | Macdonald Road | Health & Safety

Publications by New Journal Enterprises

Home

Archive

Competition

Islington Tribune - by CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS
Published: 19 September 2008

Louis Middleton

Gym apologises after calling child ‘health and safety’ risk

Nine-year-old was told he could not play by the pool while his mother swam

ARCHWAY leisure centre bosses who barred a nine-year-old boy from a swimming pool over health and safety fears have been forced to say sorry.
Frances Middleton began taking her son Louis to the Macdonald Road swimming pool several months ago and would leave him to play by the side of the pool while she swam.
But everything went wrong two weeks ago when a duty manager approached her and said Louis couldn’t stay.
“We turned up and I was told I couldn’t come in with him,” said the Highgate mother.
“The duty manager told us Louis was a ‘health and safety’ problem.
“He’s nine years old – you couldn’t find a more well-behaved child.”
Ms Middleton wasn’t the only one put out by the decision.
“I felt a bit annoyed,” said Louis. “I was reading some books, playing on my Gameboy and talking to the swimming instructors. I think it’s stupid.”
But the centre’s hardline policy on children soon began to unravel when Ms Middleton contacted the Tribune to complain, and it speedily emerged that children aged eight and over are not allowed in any of the borough’s sports centre without an adult.
Aquaterra, the charity contracted by Islington to run its leisure centres – including the Sobell Centre, which is to be controversially demolished – was forced to admit ejecting Louis was a “misunderstanding”.
Sources have blamed the mix up on the inexperience of some members of staff, although Aquaterra were reluctant to explain how it came about.
“The misunderstanding has been successfully resolved and we have apologised to the customer and her son for any confusion or upset caused,” said a spokeswoman would say.
“Children are welcome to swim, take part in activities, or visit our leisure centres by themselves from the age of 8.”
But for Ms Middleton, it was just another example of what she described as our “health and safety culture” gone mad.
“They didn’t even ask his age,” she insisted. “They just didn’t like him sitting there, and they blamed it on health and safety.”
Aquaterra have offered Louis a free swimming course as a “show of goodwill”.

Comment on this article.
(You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)

Name:

Email:

Comment: