No inquest into death of boy, 12, at SnowDome

Louis Watkiss died while attending a party with friends at the SnowDome in September 2021

The parents of a 12-year-old boy who lost his life while at an indoor snow centre have been told there will not be a full inquest into his death.

Louis Watkiss, from Sutton Coldfield, died at the SnowDome in Tamworth, Staffordshire, on 24 September 2021 during a tobogganing party with friends, after he was injured in a collision with a member of staff.

Coroner Fiona Gingell ruled against continuing the hearing into how Louis died, saying a criminal investigation had already established a "clear and factual picture" of his final moments.

SnowDome pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations and was fined more than £100,000 over the incident.

Louis' father, Chris Watkiss, said he was "disappointed, angry, confused and very let down" by the decision on Friday not to proceed with an inquest.

"To not come out with a document that will improve safety within the indoor snow industry in Britain is just an insult really" he said.

"Even though the coroner gave her reasons why, there's still a lot of unanswered questions, so we walk away from this feeling very angry."

'Missed opportunity'

The coroner said there was no sufficient reason to continue the investigation, and that the Health and Safety Executive and criminal investigation had already established that Louis died because of sustaining head injuries.

"I express my sincere condolence to the family - no words that will undo the immeasurable loss that you've faced," the coroner said.

Natalie Watkiss, Louis' mother, said not being able to have a prevention of future deaths report was a "missed opportunity" to learn from what happened.

"It would be a legacy for Louis to be able to help others," she said, adding that they hoped to still find ways to support other families who faced similar circumstances in the future.

Louis' parents Chris and Natalie Watkiss say they still have a lot of unanswered questions over their son's death

Having a full inquest would have enabled information about their son's death to be shared more widely in the public domain and would have brought about greater public awareness of safety at indoor snow attractions, Mrs Watkiss said.

She had argued there was no verified record of what Louis was told and what instructions were age appropriate, or evidence about failings in the emergency response.

"I don't think the public are fully informed of the risks that still exist," she said.

She added: "We won't let his legacy be silenced by this today."