Paddy: Cliff-fencing plea rejected
DISTRAUGHT relatives of the 16-year-old boy photographed drinking in Newquay hours before he fell from a cliff have revealed that authorities refused their plea for safety features to be put in place where he fell – because it would be too expensive.
Tom Barbour, Paddy Higgins' stepbrother, wrote on Facebook that the council had been "stubborn" over the family's request in the wake of the tragic accident last Sunday.
Paddy, from Wokingham, Berkshire, was celebrating the end of his GCSEs by camping with friends near the Cornish resort. His parents released a picture on Wednesday showing him and his friends drinking spirits in a restaurant hours before his death. They do not believe he and his friends were drinking elsewhere in the town that night.
The family has launched a page on social networking website Facebook calling on people to boycott Newquay and branding it "not safe for teenagers". It has around 1,500 members.
Shireen Higgins, Paddy's stepmother, said in yesterday's Western Morning News: "We cannot bring Paddy back but if we can stop other families going through what we are going through something positive can come from what has happened."
Tom wrote on the site: "We have spoken to Cornwall Council and they have been stubborn saying that safety precautions around the cliffs will be too expensive. But how expensive is somebody's life?
"The only way to show them that people are seriously concerned with the lack of safety is to NOT GO THERE, hopefully if enough people do so and enough tourist revenue is lost, they will take notice!"
But the fencing situation was defended by Councillor Geoff Brown, Cornwall Council member for Newquay Central. He has spent 25 years as a member of the Newquay cliff rescue team, and said often fences were more a hindrance than a help to those trying to reach people in difficulty on cliffs.
And he called on teenagers and their parents to share responsibility for their actions. "The reality is that fencing the coast is not practicable," he said.
"Firstly, where do you start and where do you stop? Do you fence the whole coast? Secondly, in Newquay, where the cliffs are close to grassy areas, roads and paths, there are either fences or hedges. But it is not a Berlin Wall to keep people in, it is a natural barrier.
"Anyone foolhardy enough to climb over it wouldn't find it difficult.
"Parents have to make a judgment whether their child, at the age of 16, is responsible enough to come to Newquay on their own. If they decide they are, the young people have to demonstrate this responsibility and not take these foolhardy actions. There has to be a sense of responsibility."
He said that bars and clubs in the town exercised "watertight" policies for dealing with underage drinking and commended the police for their "proactive" activities that include confiscating alcohol from young drinkers.
The shocking death of Paddy was the second case of a youngster falling off cliffs to his death in as many weeks.
The tragedy came just eight days after Andrew Curwell, 18, from Saddleworth, Lancashire, was found at the foot of cliffs at nearby Great Western Beach.
The Leeds Rhinos' rugby academy player was on holiday with friends to celebrate the end of his A-level exams when he fell from the cliffs.
A third teenager was found unconscious near the bottom of cliffs in the town in an unrelated incident.
In a statement, Inspector Dave Meredith, sector inspector for Newquay, said: "Although the consumption of alcohol cannot be directly linked to any of these incidents, the police are appealing to all persons visiting Newquay this summer to be aware of the dangers of going near cliff areas after consuming alcohol.
"Although it may not be obvious to persons unfamiliar with the town, the majority of pubs and clubs are very close to the sea and some very high cliffs. It is quite feasible for someone who has become lost or disorientated to walk to a dangerous cliff area within minutes of leaving any of the pubs and clubs in central Newquay.
"Unfortunately there is limited safety fencing on a lot of the cliff areas.
"During the summer season there are additional police resources deployed to the town centre area during evenings and nights."
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by karen willis nee brokenshire, monmouth/south wales
Thursday, July 23 2009, 1:54PM
“tragic accident! my ancesters were from cornwall and i have visited twice maybe three times a year since i was born,45years ago. my dad john brokenshire always warned us about the cliffs and continues to do so. why are the visitors oblivious to the dangers? there are signs warning of the danger of falling rocks etc. lets have newquay back as a family place, i have not been to newquay for about 18 years, since my children were small and would not attempt to take any children there now.”
by CommonSense, Cornwall
Thursday, July 16 2009, 10:52AM
“Build a fence along all the cliff s in Newquay. My cousin fell from The Barrowfields cliffs 60 years ago and was killed ,he was only 9 years old.He had not been drinking.
jill Dumenil, australia formerly newquay
Why stop at just fencing Newquay? Build fences along the Cornish coast - Hell's Mouth for instance. In fact, fence off all public access to everything by the sea. It would prevent people 'tomb-stoneing' and killing themselves.
How about fencing off the Tamar? It would prevent holiday makers falling off our killer coast.
Remove all the nasty rocks that holiday makers get stranded upon.
Why not stop everyone swimming in the sea around Australia's beaches- thereby preventing nasty shark attacks.”
by Local, Newquay
Wednesday, July 15 2009, 10:14AM
“yes everyone boycott Newquay, stop the tourist trade completely, So any of us who work in the tourist industry lose our jobs, even if we have families to support, yes that will work. This campaign is ridiculous, I understand a families grief of course but a town cannot be to blame for accidents. Where did this accident happen? As a local Im finding it hard to think of an area above Tolcarne/Towan that would not involve climbing over something substantial??”
by jill Dumenil, australia formerly newquay
Wednesday, July 15 2009, 1:18AM
“Build a fence along all the cliff s in Newquay. My cousin fell from The Barrowfields cliffs 60 years ago and was killed ,he was only 9 years old.He had not been drinking.”
by tinks, plymouth
Tuesday, July 14 2009, 6:49PM
“A lot of people here are asking how do these kids get served in the pubs/clubs? Simple, they do what one young lady I work with used to do - borrow ID. Her cousins passport to be exact. Both girls were blond and at a quick glance in semi-darkness every doorman let her in. I will say that she only started coming out with the girls from work once she turned 18 - she didn't want us to have to lie to cover for her. She said that this was how all her underage friends got into clubs and got served. All kinds of ID being used, not just passports. All use with the owners knowledge. That's how so many underage kids get served.
I'm sorry for the loss these families have suffered. I just hope it will make other parents think twice about letting their offspring go off like this. 16 is too young.”
by TINA, Hampshire
Tuesday, July 14 2009, 1:18PM
“I am appalled by the uncaring, insensitive, judgemental comments on this page. I'm sure the so called local's, (some of which are probably not even born and bred themselves) do not complain about the income generated by tourism and the additional facilities they benefit from said toursits they are quick to criticise. Were they never young or bring children up themselves, or is it long term memory loss. I have visited Newquay on several occasions but will not be rushing back to see its gorgeous coastline now that my eyes have been opened to the cold hearted, judgemental hypocrites that reside there. I would not wish badly of anybody but should they have to go through such a tragedy themselves, I hope they and their families are treated with more compassion than they have shown to this poor lads family and friends. It was obviously a harmless fun holiday to celebrate end of year exams (which quite possibly he could have saved and paid for without Mummy and Daddy's help) which very sadly ended in a terrible tragedy, that may never have happened should a local business not been so careless in serving underage drinkers. As tragic as it is "an accident is an accident". Some of you should jump off your high horses and be utterly ashamed of yourselves.”
by Kallie, Cornwall
Tuesday, July 14 2009, 10:32AM
“The death of the 16 year old is very sad, however I feel that the parents should not have let their 'children' visit Newquay at this time of year alone without supervision in the first place. If the council was really to put fences around dangerous cliff spots in Cornwall, basically there will be fences everywhere! People just have to take care while on holiday.”
by Peter, Cornwall
Monday, July 13 2009, 1:27PM
“Paddys parents would be better keeping quiet. It seems they failed to make sure He knew the dangers of the cliffs at Newquay, He could not be trusted or he would not have been drinking. So put your own house in order before blaming every one else.”
by tracey, Cornwall
Monday, July 13 2009, 1:25PM
“I am sorry for the families loss, but that doesnt give the family the right to post that people should Boycott Newquay and generate a hate campaign for the local area. Unfortunately the young lad should never have been allowed to holiday alone without parent supervision.
Grief will undoubtably give way to blaming others, that will be something they will live with for the rest of their lives.
I can see their current actions will server only to bring further tension between their family and local people - is this how you should remember a young boys life. Campaign yes, but dont attribute this accident to the local area or the local people and that is what they are doing.
Drink, his age and the local environment contributed to this unfortunate death. However had he steeped in front of a bus would be be boycotting all buses.
Sorry but please STOP this campaign right now, before it goes too far. This is down to the boy being in the area with no parent supervision, drinking
More education is needed to stop this happening to other youngsters on the parents side, not the council or authorities”
by confused, newquay
Monday, July 13 2009, 12:34PM
“SAFETY/RESPONSIBILITY/LEGAL thats how to behave”