Workman devastated after baby killed by lamp post

A workman who cut the base of a lamp post that later fell, fatally injuring a baby, wishes he had died instead, an inquest heard yesterday.

Tommy Hollis suffered severe head injuries when he was struck by the falling post as he was sleeping in a pram being pushed by his nanny in Chiswick, west London, on February 23, 2010.

He was rushed to hospital but scans revealed his brain injuries were so serious he could not survive. He was a day short of his first birthday when he died two days later, on February 25, 2010 at London’s King’s College Hospital.

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Kelvin Elmore, a civil engineer with construction firm McNicholas, was clearing obstructions ready for laying new cables for Virgin Media when he cut the steel plate, five days before it fell.

In a statement read to West London Coroner’s Court, Mr Elmore said he thought the steel – 18 inches from the lamp post – was part of an old tram line and did not realise it was connected to the lamp post, which was to be removed as part of a road widening scheme.

Mr Elmore, who was not present when it fell, said he was “utterly devastated” to have been involved, and added: “As a father myself, I cannot express how horrified I am to have had any connection with the death of a child. I cannot imagine what the family are going through. As I said when I gave my statement to the police, if I could take the place of that child, then I would.”

An investigation was carried out by the Health and Safety Executive and the police, the inquest was told. Mr Elmore said he admitted immediately he had cut the steel, but added: “I simply thought it was part of an obsolete part of steel track and had no idea it was connected to the lamp post.”

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He was found guilty of gross misconduct by his company and given a written warning, but still works for them, the inquest was told.

Mr Elmore said he had never seen a lamp post secured in such a way in his 17-year career.

A lamp post usually runs straight into the ground, or is secured on a concrete plinth, the inquest heard. The bottom of the fallen post had instead been cut off and a steel plate and concrete structure connected to it in a “dog-leg” arrangement.

Health and Safety Executive inspector Dominic Long said the “hybrid column” was “rare” but lighting expert Clive Lane told the inquest the support was more common in built-up areas and he was “surprised” someone working in London would not have thought the steel plate was linked to the lamp post, given their proximity.

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In a statement Tommy’s nanny said they had been waiting to cross at traffic lights close to roadworks near Chiswick Town Hall when she heard a “hollow” noise.

“There was a terrible scream and I immediately pulled the pushchair back,” Anna Martin said.

Then she realised the buggy had no wheels and had been hit by something. What looked like a piece of pipe was lying across the roadworks barriers.

Ms Martin added: “Tommy looked like he was sleeping. It had all happened so fast.”

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She gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and shouted for help and Tommy was carried onto the steps of the town hall where efforts were made to revive him before an ambulance arrived. She telephoned his parents to tell them there had been “a terrible accident”.

Mary Gregory, who was pushing her granddaughter Poppy in a buggy next to Ms Martin, was also struck by the lamp post and treated in hospital overnight. The inquest heard she was the woman heard screaming.

The inquest continues.