Overview

• A pre-inquest review in Croydon heard that Brooke Wiggins, 12, died after a branch snapped while she used a rope swing at Grove Place in Banstead on 9 November last year, and rescuers took between 90 minutes and two hours to free her.
• Assistant coroner Ivor Collett said the inquest will focus on Surrey County Council’s role in ownership and maintenance of the tree, while the land where the accident occurred is owned by the London Borough of Sutton.
• The Health and Safety Executive conducted an investigation with input from Surrey County Council tree specialists.
• Police body-worn camera footage of the incident exists but will not be shown in court because it is too distressing.
• An inspection recommended removing the tree’s branches through “monolithing,” and the coroner said the safety work can now proceed, with a full inquest scheduled for next year.