Window locks in death-fall flat missing

A six-year-old boy plunged to his death from the eighth floor of a tower block through a window which was missing its safety locks, an inquest has heard.

Liam Shackleton died after he fell from the bedroom window of his grandfather’s flat in Leeds in May last year, Wakefield Coroner’s Court was told.

The youngster, with his mother, Tanya, father Martin and siblings, had been living in the one-bedroom flat in Lindsay Mount, in Lincoln Green, for three weeks while they waited to be rehoused.

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On May 31, the family were in the bedroom for around three hours while workers replaced carpet tiles in the living room.

Locks which would prevent the window from opening too wide had been taken off since new double glazing was installed in the flats in 2005, the inquest heard.

Robert Goor, head of maintenance at East North East Homes Leeds, said the locks were fitted as standard but could be moved or removed with an allen key to allow for cleaning and suggested Peter Shackleton, Liam’s grandfather, may have removed those supplied with the windows.

Coroner David Hinchliff said: “Had these locks been on and set at a level which would restrict the width the window could open, this accident could have been prevented.”

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Mrs Shackleton, who said her father-in-law had not removed locks from the windows, left the hearing in tears as Mr Hinchliff described her son as “a very active little boy, full of mischief”.

On May 31, he said the window in the bedroom was opened as the room became “stuffy” and the adults were smoking, adding Liam was climbing onto the window ledge.

After the carpet was laid, the adults left the room and, a short time later at around 5.15pm, Liam’s elder sister came into the living room to tell her mother that Liam had fallen from the window.

Two men, aged 57 and 36, a 28-year-old woman and a 16-year-old girl were arrested on suspicion of child neglect but were not charged.

The inquest continues.

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