Two fairground workers charged with manslaughter in bouncy castle death tragedy

Two fairground workers have been charged with manslaughter after a seven-year-old girl died when the bouncy castle she was playing on blew away.

Summer Grant, from Norwich, was at a funfair in Harlow, Essex, in 2016 when the tragedy occurred. A strong gust of wind blew the inflatable across the park over trailers and caravans and landed down a hill after wind pulled the safety stakes out of the ground.

Summer suffered serious injuries and despite the efforts of paramedics she died in hospital.

Essex Police said Shelby Thurston, 25, and William Thurston, 28, had been charged with manslaughter by gross negligence.

The pair, from Whitecross Road, Wilburton, Cambridgeshire, have also been charged with failure to discharge a general health and safety duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

They are due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court next week.

Image captionIt is believed a strong gust of wind swept the dome-shaped inflatable that Summer had been playing on across the park

Police are also keen to trace a witness who was near the fairground rides at the time of the incident. He was described as a young black man, believed to be in his teens BBC news reports.

In April 200 people gathered at the park for a two-minute silence in memory of Summer.