• Contact us
  • About us
  • Digital edition
  • Online archive
Friday, July 25, 2025
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
  • News
    Penrith businessman bitten by dog

    Penrith businessman bitten by dog

    End of road for Cumbria Classic Coaches after 28 years

    End of road for Cumbria Classic Coaches after 28 years

    Farm diversification project set to blossom

    Farm diversification project set to blossom

    71-year-old cyclist gets on his bike to Rome

    71-year-old cyclist gets on his bike to Rome

    Appleby car park and road to close for flood work

    Appleby car park and road to close for flood work

    Road closure plans for essential bridge repairs

    Road closure plans for essential bridge repairs

    Penrith drug dealer jailed

    Penrith drug dealer jailed

    Man who damaged Penrith’s Paddington Bear appears in court

    Man who damaged Penrith’s Paddington Bear appears in court

    Mandatory payrolling of Benefits in Kind delayed

    Mandatory payrolling of Benefits in Kind delayed

  • Sport
    Teen golfer George Curry lines up with world’s best players

    Teen golfer George Curry lines up with world’s best players

    Ullswater Community College footballers make history

    Ullswater Community College footballers make history

    New management set to lead Appleby Football Club

    New management set to lead Appleby Football Club

    Success for fighting squad

    Success for fighting squad

    Penrith skipper Nicky Burns calls on team to keep winning

    Penrith skipper Nicky Burns calls on team to keep winning

    £100,000 target for new changing rooms extension

    £100,000 target for new changing rooms extension

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Online archive
  • Buy Photos
  • Buy your paper
  • North Lakes Living
No Result
View All Result
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
  • News
    Penrith businessman bitten by dog

    Penrith businessman bitten by dog

    End of road for Cumbria Classic Coaches after 28 years

    End of road for Cumbria Classic Coaches after 28 years

    Farm diversification project set to blossom

    Farm diversification project set to blossom

    71-year-old cyclist gets on his bike to Rome

    71-year-old cyclist gets on his bike to Rome

    Appleby car park and road to close for flood work

    Appleby car park and road to close for flood work

    Road closure plans for essential bridge repairs

    Road closure plans for essential bridge repairs

    Penrith drug dealer jailed

    Penrith drug dealer jailed

    Man who damaged Penrith’s Paddington Bear appears in court

    Man who damaged Penrith’s Paddington Bear appears in court

    Mandatory payrolling of Benefits in Kind delayed

    Mandatory payrolling of Benefits in Kind delayed

  • Sport
    Teen golfer George Curry lines up with world’s best players

    Teen golfer George Curry lines up with world’s best players

    Ullswater Community College footballers make history

    Ullswater Community College footballers make history

    New management set to lead Appleby Football Club

    New management set to lead Appleby Football Club

    Success for fighting squad

    Success for fighting squad

    Penrith skipper Nicky Burns calls on team to keep winning

    Penrith skipper Nicky Burns calls on team to keep winning

    £100,000 target for new changing rooms extension

    £100,000 target for new changing rooms extension

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Online archive
  • Buy Photos
  • Buy your paper
  • North Lakes Living
No Result
View All Result
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
No Result
View All Result
Home Latest

School fined £30,000 after Helvellyn trip ended with mountain rescue team callout

by CWH
19 February 2022
in Latest, News
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Helvellyn

A school forced to call out Keswick Mountain Rescue Team after a group of children were stranded on Helvellyn has been fined £30,000.

Year 10 pupils from The Gateshead Chedar were led on an organised trip by a teacher and a teaching assistant in March 2020.

Despite the weather conditions being cold and icy and the Lake District Weatherline Report stressing there were dangers to those climbing above the snow line, the school decided the trip should go ahead as planned.

Many of the 15 youngsters did not have suitable equipment, a number of them were wearing school shoes and school trousers; and others were wearing trainers.

The adults leading the trip had no formal qualifications in mountain leadership or any experience of mountain environments in winter conditions. The party had a map but relied on a smartphone app as a compass.

The school has been sentenced for its failures to adequately manage the risks posed by the trip.

Their route included ascending from Wythburn via Birk Side, and descending Helvellyn via Browncove Crags.

During their ascent, at least two members of the public warned the Gateshead Cheder party to turn back, but the group continued their ascent and managed to reach the summit of Helvellyn without incident.

However, as the party made their descent, they inadvertently ventured off the path and unknowingly began traversing the west face of Helvellyn towards a section of steep terrain featuring vertical rock faces of around 20 metres in height.

While descending one of the pupils slid on the ice and fell several metres sustaining minor cuts.

This caused another pupil to panic and run from the group down the mountain. The two adults remained with the injured pupil and the other school children. By this time, it had begun to get dark and the temperature was dropping.

The party were eventually located and rescued by Keswick Mountain Rescue Team,. The volunteers cut steps into the snow to help the party back to the path and down the mountain.

The other pupil was lucky enough to make it back down the mountain and was found by members of the public.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that neither of the adults with the party had the appropriate skills, knowledge and experience to lead the trip, and that the school had not taken advice from a suitably competent person to plan or organise of the excursion.

There was no effective system to check the suitability of the clothing and equipment the children had with them and no effective contingency plan in place if conditions became too difficult to proceed.

The Gateshead Cheder Limited in Gateshead appeared at Newcastle Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to breaching sections 2(1) and 3(1) of The Health and Safety at Work (etc) act 1974.

The school was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £181 and costs of £4,574.90.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Stephen Garner said: “On this occasion, none of the party came to serious harm, however, the school were aware of the weather and ground conditions, but decided to proceed without the appropriate planning, equipment, or suitably trained leaders.

“Those taking part in the trek that day were placed in serious danger and there was a clear failing by the school to adopt sensible precautions to ensure their safety.

“Excursions into mountains, particularly in winter, need to be led by people with the appropriate skills, knowledge and experience. If a school does not have access to the necessary expertise in house, then licensed Adventure Activities providers are available to manage the technical aspects of this type of trekking activity.

“This incident was entirely avoidable. HSE recognises the benefits of outdoor learning activities including those involving hiking or trekking in mountain environments, however schools need to take sensible and proportionate measures to control the risks involved. This trip should not have gone ahead without such measures in place.”

Related Posts

Penrith businessman bitten by dog
News

Penrith businessman bitten by dog

25 July 2025
End of road for Cumbria Classic Coaches after 28 years
Latest

End of road for Cumbria Classic Coaches after 28 years

25 July 2025
Farm diversification project set to blossom
Farm and Countryside

Farm diversification project set to blossom

25 July 2025
71-year-old cyclist gets on his bike to Rome
News

71-year-old cyclist gets on his bike to Rome

25 July 2025
Appleby car park and road to close for flood work
News

Appleby car park and road to close for flood work

23 July 2025
Road closure plans for essential bridge repairs
News

Road closure plans for essential bridge repairs

22 July 2025
No Result
View All Result

Stay connected

Facebook Twitter Instagram

Most popular

Road closure plans for essential bridge repairs

Road closure plans for essential bridge repairs

22 July 2025
Penrith businessman bitten by dog

Penrith businessman bitten by dog

25 July 2025
Geoff Truckle played pivotal role in village life

Geoff Truckle played pivotal role in village life

25 July 2025
End of road for Cumbria Classic Coaches after 28 years

End of road for Cumbria Classic Coaches after 28 years

25 July 2025
Ullswater Community College footballers make history

Ullswater Community College footballers make history

25 July 2025
Mandatory payrolling of Benefits in Kind delayed

Mandatory payrolling of Benefits in Kind delayed

20 July 2025
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald Logo

33 Middlegate
Penrith
Cumbria
CA11 7SY

Phone: 01768 862313
Email: news@cwherald.com

Registered in England as Barrnon Media Limited. No: 12475190
VAT registration number: 343486488

Explore

  • News
  • Sport
  • Farming
  • Property
  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Your view

Useful links

  • Contact us
  • Photosales
  • Online archive
  • Buy your paper
  • Digital edition
  • North Lakes Living
  • Advertise
  • About us

Follow us on

© Barrnon Media Limited 2025

Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy

This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation
Review Your Cart
0
Discount
Add Coupon Code
Subtotal
Total Installment Payments
Bundle Discount
Checkout

 
0
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Online archive
  • more
    • North Lakes Living
    • Buy Photos
    • Buy your paper
    • About us
    • Contact us

© 2020 Cumberland & Westmorland Herald