Four Firms Charged Over Topshop Barrier Death of 10-Year-Old Boy
Four companies face charges after 10-year-old Kaden Reddick died when a queue barrier fell on him at a Topshop store. The tragic accident happened on 13 February 2017 at the Oracle shopping centre in Reading.
Tragic Incident Caught on Queue
Kaden suffered a fatal head injury after the barrier, used as a queue divider, toppled over. His mother, Lisa Mallet, told the inquest she heard a crash and saw the barrier lying on top of her son. “At first I thought he was quiet, then realised he wasn’t moving,” she said.
Student witness Niamh Gillespie said she was behind Kaden and his family in the queue. She saw him swing on the barrier before it slipped and fell onto him.
No Manufacturer Guidance on Safety Fixing
The inquest revealed a shocking lack of safety standards. Barrier maker Realm Projects admitted there were no clear rules on how barriers should be secured to the floor, with each store fitting them differently.
Realm’s David Renshaw told the court his firm supplied 88 barriers, including three to Reading’s Topshop. He insisted their design was “fit for purpose” and approved drawings showed the units should be “fixed in place to the floor.”
But Realm didn’t install the barriers – that job was left to individual store fitters, the inquest heard.
Change From Metal to MDF Barriers Sparks Issues
Arcadia’s former procurement manager Alan Prior explained the barriers were originally metal and bolted down. However, when the original supplier went bust in 2012, Realm was hired to make similar barriers from medium density fibreboard (MDF).
Each barrier weighed a hefty 110kg and doubled as a display unit, stacked with goods to tempt shoppers while they queued.
Arcadia Issues Statement
An Arcadia spokesman said: “Arcadia takes health and safety very seriously and is fully cooperating with the authorities in relation to this tragic accident.
“We cannot comment further at this time. Our thoughts are with Kaden’s family and we extend our deepest sympathy to them.”
