Fall girl Evie on the mend as parents extend thanks

Apr 7 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

THE three-year-old girl who fell 100ft from an escalator in Liverpool’s Primark clothes store was last night named as Evie Parry.

Evie, from Liverpool, remains in a “critical but stable condition” in the city’s Alder Hey Children’s Hospital where she was treated for a broken left arm and left leg and for internal injuries after Friday’s accident.

In a statement released by police Evie’s parents said they “would like to express their thanks to all the staff at the Primark store and also the members of the public, who responded quickly in providing ‘First Aid’ to their daughter after she fell”.

Evie’s parents also thanked all the staff at Alder Hey, particularly all those in the Intensive Care Unit.

A joint investigation by Liverpool City Council and the Health and Safety Executive, which is supported by police, will resume today after the store reopened for business on Saturday.

Last night Liverpool MP Louise Ellman said she hoped the investigation would ensure that accidents like this could be prevented in future.

The investigation is focusing on how the toddler managed to fall between a gap in the escalators at the store in Church Street.

Evie was with her parents shopping in the store when the accident happened at about 1.30pm.

She fell from the second floor to the lower ground floor at the retail unit.

The popular store was cleared after horrified shoppers saw Evie plunge down the atrium at the store.

Crime scene investigators and the HSE carried out forensic examinations of the scene.

Investigators are also hoping that CCTV from the shop will prove helpful in the case.

On Friday night, council engineers tested the escalators and cleared them of any mechanical faults, and they were in use over the weekend as normal.

At 84,000 sq ft the store is one of the biggest Primark stores in the UK.

Last night Geoff Lancaster, head of external affairs at Primark, said: “We brought in additional management from other stores to support the staff at the store because they were deeply shocked by what happened.

“We also had additional security on throughout the store and they will be paying extra attention to the escalators but this is purely a precautionary measure.”

“No further information has emerged as to how it happened, we are waiting to see what the conclusions of the investigation are.”

Last night Mrs Ellman said: “There must be a thorough investigation into how this tragic accident has happened.

“A full examination into safety measures has to be looked at and standards have to be investigated to ensure this can be prevented in the future. The investigation should make sure accidents like this can be prevented.

“I’m quite certain that Primark uphold all safety rules and standards in all of their stores.

“We don’t yet know the exact details of how the little girl fell and only the CCTV footage can tell us.

“The results of the investigation, I’m sure, will be swiftly acted upon so this never happens again.

“My heart goes out to the little girl and her family at this time.”

davidbartlett