Toddler's lucky escape (From Witney Gazette)

Toddler's lucky escape

9:00am Wednesday 27th September 2006 in Witney By Phil Vinter

A CHILDMINDER watched in horror as a manhole cover gave way beneath the toddler she was looking after, and he plunged into the hole below.

Cameron Hall was collecting conkers in The Wash Meadow, Minster Lovell, on Wednesday, September 20, when the accident happened.

Lynda Owers, who was looking after 17-month-old Cameron at the time, said she had no idea how deep the hole was when she saw him slip on the manhole cover and tumble in.

She said: "He just stepped on the cover, and it flipped over. He was gone in a second, and I had no idea how far down he had fallen. It was frightening, and I did not even know if I would be able to reach him."

Fortunately, the hole was only three foot deep, and Cameron managed to escape with just grazes and a cut to his bottom lip, which he bit during the fall.

Ms Owers said she had placed a nearby concrete slab on top of the manhole cover to prevent it moving, and had placed sticks around the site to cordon it off.

However, both she and Cameron's mother, Paula Sisford, said they were angry that the cover was not properly secured, and according to them has still not been reattached.

Ms Sisford, of Jacob's Mill, Witney, said: "Everyone goes down there to feed the ducks. I'm very annoyed that it still has not been fixed properly, and worried that someone else could go down there.

"I think Cameron had a really lucky escape. If it was deeper, I dread to think what could have happened. I'm disgusted that it was like that, because children go down there all the time to collect conkers, and it should be properly maintained. It is an accident waiting to happen."

The fields, which are used for cricket in the summer months, are looked after by the Minster Lovell Playing Fields Association.

Trustee Colin Alderman said: "I am concerned that it was left in this state, but it was due to be fixed last Sunday. I have not been back down myself since then to see if that has happened, but I did put a stone slab on it to make it safe after I heard about the incident.

"We are concerned that it was left in this state. By the look of it, it was vandalised. We get a crowd of young people coming down here after dark, I don't know if it was anything to do with them.

"We do walk round the fields all the time to check things are OK.

"When I last walked around there, the manhole cover appeared to be perfectly normal. We are terribly sorry, but things do happen."