'Our daughter, 12, died playing in the park after council failed to do job properly'

'Our daughter, 12, died playing in the park after council failed to do job properly'Brooke Wiggins, 12, died while playing on a rope swing in Banstead, Surrey, which an inquest has heard should have been removed by Surrey County CouncilCommentsNewsEliana Nunes News Reporter22:05, 22 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesBrooke Wiggins died on November 9, 2024, in Banstead, Surrey(Image: Claire Etherington/Facebook)The devastated father of a 12-year-old girl who died while playing on a rope swing - which an inquest heard should have been removed by the council - has said his daughter would still be alive if "people had done their job properly".‌Brooke Wiggins died on November 9, 2024, in Banstead, Surrey, just days before her 13th birthday. She suffered fatal injuries when a tree branch snapped and struck her as she played on a rope swing with friends, South London Coroner's Court heard.‌The inquest was told the tree, maintained by Surrey County Council, had been inspected in May 2022 and that a re-inspection had been due in May 2024, but did not take place as scheduled.‌Acting on behalf of Mr Wiggins, Christian Weaver argued that, had the checks been carried out, the swing would have been removed by the council, "as per policy". Gordon Carson of the Health and Safety Executive told the hearing the council’s policy is to remove rope swings from trees within seven days.View 3 ImagesBrooke Wiggins was 'bright' and 'very funny', her dad said(Image: Claire Etherington/Facebook)In a statement read by Assistant Coroner Ivor Collett, Brooke's dad Lee Wiggins said: "Only 12 years old, and now she's gone forever. When I think of her, I ask myself, 'why my darling Brooke?'"‌"If only people had done their job properly... the one thing they are paid to do, and did it properly, Brooke would still be here," he said.Mr Wiggins described Brooke as an "amazing young woman" who was "bright&quo...