A mum has told of the terrifying moment a friend’s toddler managed to escape a gated play area and climb over a damaged wall near a cliff edge.
Laura Mitchell was with her friend at Jubilee Play Park in Ethelbert Crescent, Cliftonville, on Sunday afternoon with their children.
She was also looking after another friend’s child who was staying for a sleepover when terror struck and feared he “could have died”.
The two friends sat on either side of the park to each other watching both gates as their youngsters would often open them and wander out.
Miss Mitchell, who has two children herself, says she has raised concerns before about children being able to easily open these gates, adding they should have child locks – especially because of how close the cliff edge is.
Her friend’s three-year-old had already got out of the gate once during the visit after spotting some other children playing football outside the play area.
Having returned him back to the park, Miss Mitchell was watching him play and keeping her eye on the gate.
But in a sudden moment of horror, she realised he had disappeared.
Her first instinct was to look toward the cliff edge which is when she saw his head bobbing up and down behind a temporary red fence which had been put next to a damaged bit of wall between the huge drop and the pavement.
The mum discovered he escaped due to part of the railings around the play area being damaged and bowed apart wide enough for him to squeeze through.
The 37-year-old, who is disabled so often uses a mobility scooter, says what happened next was terrifying.
“I got off my scooter and tried to run over – I almost tripped but I got there and then jumped over the fence – which wobbled as I did,” she said.
“I grabbed onto the railings and could see him sitting in the grass. I was telling him to come to me but because he’s non-verbal he didn’t register what I was saying.
“He was then bouncing around like a frog and fell. I’ve never been so scared in my life. It’s one thing if it’s your own child, but it’s another thing when it’s someone else's.”
Miss Mitchell, who has an eight-year-old and a four-year-old, went on to explain that after he fell, he was down on all fours so she thought that was a good opportunity for her to pick him up and get him back to safety.
As she had gone over the red fencing, which she thinks fell over as she did so, she says she had no idea whether it could support her weight.
“I didn’t know if we were going to make it back,” she said.
“If he fell backwards, he would have been off that cliff. I managed to grab him and I was about a foot away from the cliff top.
“I’m disabled and have fibromyalgia so I struggled to even get over there. I then managed to walk very slowly over to the railings gripping onto him really tight.”
Miss Mitchell fortunately got the little one back to safety and is now leading calls for Thanet District Council to make improvements to the railings around the cliff edge.
“I just held him and cried,” she added.
“Within a second he was out that gap in the fence and saw the red thing, ran straight over to it and got through it and onto the cliff edge because there’s no wall behind it.
“It’s a big drop and he would not have survived that. Another foot or so, and he would have been off the cliff. It happened in a matter of seconds.
“The railings by the cliff are not good enough – especially considering it’s right by a children’s park.
“If me speaking out about it can help to save a child’s life, then it’s worth it.”
The following day, Miss Mitchell went back to the park and taped up the gap in the playground fence, which has now been repaired by the council.
The red fencing has also been cable-tied together.
But, repairs are yet to take place on the wall by the cliff edge which is damaged and the reason for the red temporary fencing being up.
Speaking after the incident, the boy’s mum, who wished to remain anonymous, said she is so grateful her friend and son are ok.
“I was fuming when I found out because if the gap hadn’t been in the fence, he wouldn’t have got there. I hate that park,” she said.
“They should have tall fences around the park because it’s so close to the cliff edge like they do at schools.
“The gates into and out of the park aren’t safe either – my one-year-old could open them.
“Something needs to be done.”
Ward councillor Alan Currie said he reported the issue with the gap in the play area as soon as he heard about it and it was then fixed on Tuesday morning.
“The repair job on the cliff railing has been raised and will be done as soon as possible,” he added.
“A big thank you to Laura for reporting the problem and taping up the railing until the repair was done.
“Anyone damaging the railings can cause a potential safety hazard for the young children using the playground.”
A spokesperson for TDC said: “Having been alerted to reports on social media that the Jubilee Play Park fence had been damaged, council officers investigated and completed repairs as soon as possible.
“Further work to repair a damaged post in the clifftop balustrade is due to be carried out on Monday (June 10). Temporary fencing is in place as a precaution, and a permanent sign warns people to stay away from the cliff edge.
“Our advice to members of the public is always to stay well back from the cliff edge, at all locations across the district.
“Members of the public are encouraged to report all damage to public areas directly to the council either by calling 01843 577000 or emailing openspaces@thanet.gov.uk.”
