Tamworth SnowDome fined £100k over Louis Watkiss death

An indoor ski centre has been fined £100,000 following the death of a 12-year-old boy.

Louis Watkiss died at the SnowDome in Tamworth, Staffordshire, on 24 September 2021 during a tobogganing party with friends, after he was injured in a collision with a member of staff.

Following an investigation, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) charged SnowDome Limited with breaching health and safety regulations.

The firm was sentenced at a hearing at Telford Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

It was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £2,000 and costs of £14,534.20.

Louis’s parents Chris and Natalie Watkiss, from Sutton Coldfield, have spoken previously about how they were called about the incident and initially believed it was a minor injury.

Mr Watkiss said Louis, a talented saxophonist, was pronounced dead right in front of him within a few minutes of him arriving at his son’s side.

“I laid with him for a bit, told him he was a good boy and how much I loved him,” he told the BBC.

Mr and Mrs Watkiss have since called for a change in the law to make helmets compulsory during similar activities.