Trio of agencies to be tried over pool deaths

6:26am Friday 28th July 2006

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The Metropolitan Police, the Metropolitan Police Authority and Barnet Council are to be prosecuted in connection with the deaths of two 14-year-old boys.

They will be prosecuted for breaches of health and safety regulations over the deaths of the boys in a swimming pool at the Peel Centre, Aerodrome Road, Hendon, in 2002.

The trio face unlimited fines if found guilty of not taking the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of Gameli Akuklu and William Kadama.

The teenagers were discovered lying at the bottom of the pool on July 30, 2002, during a Rainbow Scheme summer holiday activity day, run jointly by Barnet Council and the police.

PC Danny Phillips, the only lifeguard on duty that day, was cleared of the boys' manslaughter by gross negligence in court last month.

Until now no-one has been convicted of an offence relating to their deaths.

After the accident, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) immediately launched an investigation into whether the three organisations should stand trial.

This week it confirmed that all three were due to appear at the City of London Magistrates' Court on August 8.

The organisations are being prosecuted under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

It states that non-employees must not have their health and safety adversely affected by an employer's actions.