Published: Wednesday, 5th March, 2008 12:00
Escalator Ate Tot's Toe
By Robyn Anderson
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A KILWINNING dad has hit out at an Irvine Shopping Centre after his daughter was left in agony following an incident on a mall escalator.
However, bosses at the Rivergate Shopping Centre have responsibility, placing the blame firmly on four-year-old Jamie-Leigh Kirkham's father.
Four Year Old Jamie-Lee Kirkham, from Kilwinning, was taken into hospital after her foot got caught in the malls escalators on Saturday morning.
Jamie-lee’s foot was sucked under the bottom end of the escalator, going down, pulling her pinky toe out of its socket, she was rushed to hospital. She was wearing trainers that covered her whole foot.
That was not the only casualty, as in the space of five minutes a young boy had also been injured by the escalators.
Concerned father, Michael Kirkham said: “I went back later on and the escalators weren’t stopped, they kept them running.” The young girl got home on Monday afternoon after being operated on the day before. She has had a pin put in her foot and is in a cast.
Rivergate manager Patrick Robertze told us that that there had been no problem with the escalators and that the injury had been down to Mr Kirkham.
He said: “We know there’s nothing wrong with the escalators. It was very unfortunate the child was injured but it was complete lack of parental supervision.”
He claims that the young girl had put her foot up against the brushes at the side of the escalators and was not being properly supervised by her parents and this led to the horrific injury.
However, Jamie-Leigh’s dad countered that claim, arguing that there were no brushes on the side of the escalators and she was safely holding on to the side.
He has nowl asked Health and Safety to investigate the situation with the centres escalators but a decision can not be made until all the evidence, from both sides, has been considered.
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