Solicitor Initiates Petition to Prevent Tragic Falls

I was devastated to hear recently of a further two deaths arising from children falling from the window of a high-rise tower block.

The reports of the death of Alam Makial, aged 5 years old and his father’s cries and grief, discovering the lifeless body of his son, are truly heart breaking. The news also brings back memories of my first meeting with Birikti when she bravely walked into our office in Leeds last summer to tell me of her tragedy.

Birikti’s son Exodus, just 22 months old, fell from the 7 th floor window of a high-rise tower block in Leeds in July 2022. Birikti had made numerous complaints to her landlord, Leeds City Council, regarding the safety of her windows and had requested a permanently fixed restrictor to ensure that her windows were prevented from opening too wide, to protect her children. Birikti’s complaints and concerns were ignored.

We discovered during our investigation that a boy named Liam Shackleton had fallen from the window of a neighbouring high-rise tower block in 2012 following which the then Senior Coroner, David Hinchcliffe, made several recommendations. He recommended that regular visits of properties took place to identify window safety issues caused by furniture placed under windows. He also recommended that permanently fixed restrictors be fitted in all high-rise dwellings. Senior Coroner Hinchliffe commented that the safety of children was of paramount importance.

Regrettably, Leeds City Council carried out a “one off campaign” of offering permanently fixed restrictors to their tenants. They had no record of how many were installed or to which properties. Annual visits of properties were taking place, but no education had been provided on window safety, the focus being on rent collection.

We heard evidence from the housing officer in Exodus’ case that he had no training in how to identify such dangers and had no recollection of providing any such advice. Disappointingly, Senior Coroner Kevin McLoughlin found that the fitting of permanently fixed restrictors was “tertiary” and provided tenants with false reassurance. He instead suggested that Leeds City Council continue to educate their tenants on window safety by way of leaflets and stickers. I was lost for words and deeply disappointed as Birikti wept behind me.

I gave a statement to the press after the inquest and expressed my great concern that there was a significant risk of future deaths. It wasn’t a matter of IF this would happen again, but when.

Gareth Naylor

Director & Head of Personal Injury

Ison Harrison Solicitors, Leeds

View and signed Gareth's petition for change here