Depot detonator storage investigations launched (From Echo)
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Depot detonator storage investigations launched
11:00am Monday 20th August 2012 in Local News
TWO investigations into security at a rail depot have been launched after a 15-year-old boy was blinded by explosives he found there.
The Office of Rail Regulation and Network Rail are investigating how Harvey Rowe got into the Network Rail depot behind Leigh station on Saturday and how the detonators he found were stored. Harvey’s mum Claire, 46, of Herschell Road, Leigh, said: “I welcome it. I feel good someone is investigating Network Rail. Even if they had got in by climbing over the fence, the explosives shouldn’t have been left in a skip.”
The Belfairs High School pupil said he and two 17-year-old friends got into the depot via the next-door skate park through a gap in the fence. It is claimed the gap had been left for two years.
The youngsters said they found the detonators in an unsecured box in a skip.
The 17-year-olds were arrested for theft and released on police bail. Harvey’s grandfather, Terry Lincoln, 68, of Grove Road, Benfleet , said: “They have a duty to protect the property, and a duty of care to dispose of the explosives properly.”
The boys were collecting fuel for a bonfire in the skate park. Harvey wanted the detonator box to store his BMX tools in, and tipped the detonators – which he had no idea were explosives – onto a pile of unlit rubbish.
They exploded when the fire was lit, sending splinters into Harvey’s right eye. Youths using the skate park have been getting into the depot regularly for at least two years.
An Office of Rail Regulation spokeswoman said: “We are aware of the incident. We are investigating the gap in the fence and how the detonators were stored.”
A British Transport Police spokeswoman said: “I understand Network Rail is conducting its own investigation into how they were stored.”
The Health and Safety Executive said the incident had not been reported to it. Network Rail declined to comment while the police investigation is ongoing.
Comments(11)
'V'
says...
12:38pm Mon 20 Aug 12
SaveOurStanford wrote:Did you read the article at all?
I Still think at 17 he had to know what was Right & Wrong as Entering a Property without permision is wrong So is Taking the Box regardless what his intentions were it was still Theft !
Sorry if he looses his eyesite but lesson needed to be taught by parent before this happended but this lad has now learnt from experiance !
Maybe his freinds & others will realise that Railway Depots are not playgrounds for exploring.
The blinded boy is fifteen and has not been arrested or charged with theft.
The two arrested for theft are seventeen.
guygrim
says...
1:05pm Mon 20 Aug 12
AndyBSG
says...
3:56pm Mon 20 Aug 12
Fixed the reporters mistake....
Granny Peddle
says...
10:43am Tue 21 Aug 12
He entered a railway depot without permission, he found a box that belonged to the railway, he decided he wanted it, so he took it. That's theft, pure and simple. He then emptied the contents of the box that he had no business taking on to a bonfire, so his intention was to burn the stolen goods.
It doesn't matter how they were stored or even if they were in a skip, if you have to go through a hole in a fence to get somewhere it's somewhere you probably shouldn't be, and you certainly have no right to take something that doesn't belong to you. It's unfortunate that he was injured but it's no one's fault but his own.
Rayleigh Reader
says...
1:56pm Tue 21 Aug 12
Eric Whim
says...
2:58pm Tue 21 Aug 12
Brunning999
says...
3:59pm Tue 21 Aug 12
1. Did they steal property belonging to another with the intention or permanently depriving the owner of that property Answer the moment they put it in a fire 'yes'
2. Was the property stored under the correct conditions required by The Explosives Act.
As to their age 17 is the age of adult responsibility and has no bearing on the case they are adults in the eyes of the law.
Brunning999
says...
4:00pm Tue 21 Aug 12
1. Did they steal property belonging to another with the intention or permanently depriving the owner of that property Answer the moment they put it in a fire 'yes'
2. Was the property stored under the correct conditions required by The Explosives Act.
As to their age 17 is the age of adult responsibility and has no bearing on the case they are adults in the eyes of the law.
Roy_Baty
says...
5:11pm Tue 21 Aug 12
Is finding a box of bits in a rubbish skip and wanting the box but not the bits stealing? Not really.
Is throwing the unwanted 'bits' on a pile of rubbish deliberately destroying property? Questionable.
The biggest crime here is trespass.
perini
says...
10:18am Wed 22 Aug 12
Roy_Baty wrote:You are so wrong - taking anything from a skip, wherever it is, is theft. Pure and simple.Doesn't matter if the skip is on public land ie the road, it's still theft.
The reality is they went through the fence and took stuff from a rubbish skip to make a bonfire by the skatepark. Is finding a box of bits in a rubbish skip and wanting the box but not the bits stealing? Not really. Is throwing the unwanted 'bits' on a pile of rubbish deliberately destroying property? Questionable. The biggest crime here is trespass.
SaveOurStanford says...
12:30pm Mon 20 Aug 12
Sorry if he looses his eyesite but lesson needed to be taught by parent before this happended but this lad has now learnt from experiance !
Maybe his freinds & others will realise that Railway Depots are not playgrounds for exploring.