Child's skull fractured by Topshop queue barrier

25 January 2019

A 10-year-old girl suffered a fractured skull at a Topshop store when a part of a barrier fell on her head.

The schoolgirl was with her mother at Silverburn Shopping centre in Pollok, Glasgow, when a queue barrier she swung on landed on her.

She was taken to the Royal Hospital for Children where she was found to have a skull fracture.

At Glasgow Sheriff Court Topshop owners, Arcadia Group Ltd, admitted breaking health and safety laws.

The company pleaded guilty to failing to make sure that the queue barrier was fixed to the floor or properly secured, between January 2016 and February 2017.

This led to the girl, who is now aged 12, being hurt to her severe injury and permanent disfigurement.

'Heard a scream'

The court heard the barriers were usually only used in "flagship stores" and the Silverburn shop was not in this category.

They had been removed from the Argyle Street store in Glasgow city centre and moved to Silverburn at some stage between January and March 2016.

But the court heard they had not been correctly installed.

Procurator fiscal depute Catriona Dow said the items were used in stores near the till area to guide customers and often displayed smaller items people can buy.

Mrs Dow said they "required to be fixed to the floor".

She said: "On February 7, 2017 the 10-year-old accompanied her mother and her friend shopping at Silverburn.

"The entered Topshop around 8pm. The girl and her mother had been looking at hats and trying them on."

Around 20:15 the girl's mother "heard a scream" and turned to see her daughter lying on the floor "with a queue barrier on top of her".

Staff immediately removed it, an ambulance was called, and the girl was taken to hospital.

Mrs Dow said she was treated for a skull fracture and cut, and she had bruises on her arms.

Missed schooling

The court heard the shop was shut for investigations and CCTV was checked.

Mrs Dow added "It appears (the girl) has swung on the queue barrier at which time it fell on top of her."

Inquiries revealed that that barrier and a second that had been brought to the shop were both insecure and not attached to the floor properly and removed.

The child was treated for her head injury and was off school for eight weeks.

In June last year she was asked about her injuries and was aware of a scar on her right temple that she covers with makeup.

Sheriff Paul Crozier deferred sentence until a later date.