Pontins parent company accused of corporate manslaughter

The parent company of Pontins holiday parks has appeared in court charged with corporate manslaughter after part of a ceiling at a resort collapsed on guests six years ago.

Eighteen people were injured at the Brean Sands site in Somerset in February 2019 when a 40-metre section of structural ducting and ceiling fell inside an entertainment area.

Grandmother Wendy Jones, 68, was among six people taken to hospital following the incident.

She died in August 2019.

Pontins’ parent company, Britannia Jinky Jersey Ltd, has been accused of corporate manslaughter between January 1 2015 and February 21 2019.

The charge alleges the company “managed and organised its activities in such a way so as to cause the death of Wendy Jones in that exposed Wendy Jones to the risk of death from the collapse of the ventilation ducting, which was positioned at height in the Fun Factory at its Brean Sands site, in gross breach of its duty to take reasonable care for the safety of Wendy Jones as an organisation carrying out activities on a commercial basis and as an occupier of premises”.

Stephen Bennison, 59, of Farington, Lancashire, has been charged with failing to discharge general health/safety duty to a person other than an employee under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 between January 1 2015 and February 21 2019.

The charge alleges he “being self-employed within the meaning of the Health and Safety at Work Act failed to conduct his undertaking, namely as a contractor carrying out sound-prodding work at Pontins Brean Sands in such a way as to ensure so far as reasonably practicable that persons not being his employees and who may be affected thereby, namely members of the public, including Wendy Jones, were not exposed to risks to their health and safety, namely the risk posed by overloaded ductwork in the Fun Factory”.

The two defendants appeared before Bristol Magistrates’ Court where District Judge Lynne Matthews sent the case to Bristol Crown Court for trial, where they will next appear on June 9.

They did not enter any pleas to the respective charges they face.

Bennison was released on unconditional bail.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service confirmed at the time it had been called to reports of a section of ducting collapsing into the bar area of a building at the holiday park.

It said approximately 40 metres of structural ducting and ceiling sections had fallen, exposing live damaged electrics.