Bouncy castles should be banned after girl dies on Norfolk beach, MP says

Robert Halfon calls for an ‘urgent investigation’ into the regulation of inflatables

Conservative MP for Harlow in Essex urges politicians to consider a temporary ban (PA)

An MP has called for bouncy castles in public areas to be temporarily banned after a young girl died in an incident involving an inflatable castle on a Norfolk beach.

The girl was thrown from an inflatable trampoline at Gorleston beach at about 11am on Sunday and died of her injuries in hospital.

Robert Halfon, the MP for Harlow in Essex has called for an “urgent investigation” into the regulation of the inflatables. It was in his constituency that another child, seven-year-old Summer Grant, was killed when a bouncy castle blew free from its moorings in 2016.

The Conservative MP has urged politicians to consider a restriction.

He said: “There should be a temporary ban on bouncy castles in public areas until we can ensure they are safe.

“These are two tragic deaths of two beautiful little children in the space of a few years and there needs to be an urgent investigation in the regulation and inspection regimes.

“You cannot risk a tragedy like this happening again.”

Police were called to Lower Esplanade at Gorleston-on-Sea after reports a child had been thrown from a bouncy castle.

It is believed a lifeguard carried out CPR at the scene for around 15 minutes before paramedics arrived.

The girl, who is believed to have been aged three or four, was rushed to the James Paget Hospital where she died from her injuries.

Kara Longshaw, who witnessed the incident, said: “Just seen the most horrific thing in my life. A bouncy castle exploded at the beach and the child on it was catapulted about 20ft into the air.

“Please do not allow your children on a bouncy castle in this heat.”

She said she was heartbroken to hear the girl had died.

Married fairground workers William Thurston and Shelby Thurston – who were found responsible for the “entirely preventable” death of Summer who was blown away in a bouncy castle they did not properly secure – were imprisoned for three years in June.

She died after a gust of wind elevated the inflatable from its moorings and hurled it cartwheeling 300 metres down a hill at an Easter fair in Harlow.

In 2006, two women, Elizabeth Anne Collings, 68, and Claire Furmedge, 38, died and 27 people were injured when an inflatable artwork blew away in Chester-le-Street, County Durham.

In May 2010, an inquest jury ruled the deaths were accidental.