PARAMEDICS have been accused of refusing to carry a 14-year-old girl who had collapsed out a a park for health and safety reasons.

Shannon Powell suffered a suspected seizure in Trent Park in January, halfway round an athletics race she was competing in.

Race marshall Catherine Sheppard told an inquest she was the first to help Shannon after seeing her collapse and start shaking.

But when paramedics arrived on the scene, they refused to carry the girl to the ambulance which was several hundred metres away.

Ms Sheppard said: “I remember the paramedic asking if she could walk. I thought that was a ridiculous question, but the response of the ambulance attendant was it was against health and safety [to carry her].

“I felt very irritated and annoyed, I was very close to being either verbally or physically abusive to the attendant.”

Northwood School pupil Shannon collapsed at around 11.50am, and Ms Sheppard called private medical firm Spectrum 100 who were running first aid for the Middlesex Cross Country Championships that day.

Trained first aider Robbie Proctor went to the scene with his brother, Daryl, and they called 999. However, after a 12 minute call, the operator promised only that someone would call back to offer medical advice.

He told today's inquest at North London Coroner's Court that when two paramedics eventually arrived, they refused to carry her over the boggy park which was “like glue”.

Mr Proctor, his brother, and four stewards then carried Shannon on a trolley bed across the park towards the ambulance.

But he said: “Being honest it haunts me, Shannon sat bolt upright and screamed and said 'let me go'.”

Shannon then collapsed again, and a combination of paramedics and stewards tried to resuscitate her.

She was taken to Chase Farm Hospital but was declared dead around an hour later.

The inquest, which is due to last two days, is due to hear from the paramedics at the scene that day, who struggled to find the entrance to the park and were met with locked gates when they got there.