Mum accuses leisure centre staff of negligence

Last week Limavady Borough Council admitted that an eight-year-old child had "went missing" for 20 minutes on a summer scheme trip to Lagan Valley Leisureplex in Lisburn. But the parent of the Limavady girl blasted the comments and claimed her daughter was left alone for over an hour before she was reunited with summer scheme friends. "She is only eight years-old, she did not go missing - she was left behind. "Anyone reading those comments made on behalf of the leisure centre would think that my daughter went missing of her own accord. She was actually still in the swimming pool when the bus left without her," the mother said.

The young girl travelled on the summer scheme trip with a party of 48 to the Lisburn swimming pool. Her mother claims that the child was forced to ask lesiureplex staff where her group had gone to when she couldn't see any of her friends in the pool.

"Thank goodness that she was able to dress herself and then have the sense to approach the receptionist to ask where her bus was. I cant even begin to think what could've happened if she had've went outside those doors," added the mum.

"I wasn't even contacted and told what happened. My neighbour called me over when I was outside my house. She asked me was my daughter on the trip and when I said yes she told me that a child had went missing. I went to the leisure centre to find out more but they couldn't tell me who it was.

"The bus was supposed to be back in Limavady for 4.30pm and it didn't come back until 6.30pm. When it did come back I stopped a little girl coming off the bus and asked her who went missing and she told me it was my daughter."

The woman says she spoke with management at the leisure centre following the incident.

"At least if the leisure centre phoned me I could've phone her and calmed her down and told her not to worry. She was left on her own for an hour and I just think that correct procedures such as a head count were not carried out correctly on the trip. Apparently a roll call had been called and someone answered to my daughter's name. But 48 children left Limavady on that bus and only 47 attempted to come back. It's unacceptable."

In a statement on Tuesday a Limavady Borough Council spokesperson said: "94 children in total went on the trip. There were two buses. A bus of 48, which was the bus of 8 and 9 year olds; the bus in question as the child was 8. The child to adult ratio for 8-10 year olds is one adult staff member for every 12 children. Council enforced this by having four adult staff members with the children on that bus," said the spokesperson.

"Limavady Borough Council is aware of the incident that occurred and subsequently all employees have been reminded of the importance of implementing the rigorous protocols and procedures which are currently in place to ensure the safety of children at all times."

Following the mother's comments a council spokesperson said Limavady Borough Council would be making no further comment.