MP asks for meeting with safety watchdog boss after boy's death in roof fall

Rachel Reeves said that she was “saddened” about the death of 14-year-old Myles Johnstone – known as Mylo to his family – after an accident at Wyther Lane in Bramley last Thursday evening.

The Leeds West Academy pupil was pronounced dead at the scene despite the efforts of police, paramedics and air ambulance staff to keep him alive.

He was the third boy in Leeds reported to have fallen through the roof of an industrial building within weeks. The first two were injured.

Ms Reeves (Labour) said that her thoughts were with Myles’ family. She added: “I have written to Dr Richard Judge, Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Executive, to ask that he meets with me after the second incident in as many weeks in my constituency of children falling in disused factories. I have also contacted Tom Riordan, Chief Executive of Leeds City Council, to ask that extra youth provision is secured for the local area before schools break up.”

Detective Inspector Phil Jackson, of Leeds District CID, last week appealed for people to stay away from “death trap” derelict sites across the city in the run up to the summer holidays.

In May, a 13-year-old boy was hurt in Garforth after he fell through a building on Ninelands Lane.

And on June 20 another boy, 12, was seriously injured after falling in an abandoned factory on Modder Avenue, Armley.

Coun Alice Smart said: “As a local councillor for Armley, I will do everything in my power to make sure the owners of derelict buildings in Armley make sure their sites are safe and secure as a matter of urgency.

“We also need to look at how these sites can be put to better use for the local community particularly the young people in our area.”