Girl requires surgery after seesaw scare at Peterborough park

A six-year-old girl needed surgery after trapping her finger in a dilapidated seesaw at a Peterborough park.
Ellie-May Binyon (6), with mum Kim Binyon and siblings Brandon (12), Brooke (10) and Summer (8) EMN-170419-154217009Ellie-May Binyon (6), with mum Kim Binyon and siblings Brandon (12), Brooke (10) and Summer (8) EMN-170419-154217009
Ellie-May Binyon (6), with mum Kim Binyon and siblings Brandon (12), Brooke (10) and Summer (8) EMN-170419-154217009

Ellie-May Binyon was under general anaesthetic for two hours on Saturday to repair the nail bed of her right hand ring finger after her fingertip was said to be hanging off.

The seesaw at Welbourne Park, Werrington, has now been taken out of use by Amey, the firm which is contracted by Peterborough City Council to run the city’s parks.

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Mum Kim, of Ploverly, Werrington, believes her daughter is lucky not to have lost her entire finger. She said: “It was only because it was on her nail that she was saved. If she was smaller she could have lost all her fingers.”

Ellie-May Binyon (6), with mum Kim Binyon and siblings Brandon (12), Brooke (10) and Summer (8) EMN-170419-154217009Ellie-May Binyon (6), with mum Kim Binyon and siblings Brandon (12), Brooke (10) and Summer (8) EMN-170419-154217009
Ellie-May Binyon (6), with mum Kim Binyon and siblings Brandon (12), Brooke (10) and Summer (8) EMN-170419-154217009

Ellie-May was with her siblings Brandon (12), Brooke (10) and Summer (8) in the park on Good Friday when her finger became trapped. Kim said: “She just screamed. She had got her hand caught in the bit that was uncovered. There was blood everywhere.

“She got her hand out herself but all her nail had been removed and her fingertip was hanging off.

“The seesaw is rotten. If you go and look at the park there’s an outdoor gym park that’s all new. If they can put that in, why can’t they maintain what’s already there?”

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Ellie-May has her hand bandaged up but is expected to make a full recovery. Kim added: “I’m relieved she’s going to be alright. Peterborough City Hospital were really good. They gave her some toys.”

Ellie-May in hospitalEllie-May in hospital
Ellie-May in hospital

An Amey spokesperson said: “We take the safety of the communities we serve extremely seriously, and we were very sorry to hear about this recent incident at Welbourne Park.

“We conduct weekly, quarterly and annual assessments of over 2,200 items of play equipment on behalf of Peterborough City Council to ensure they are safe for children to use.

“The equipment was taken out of use as soon as the defect was reported on Sunday, April 16, and it will remain out of use until we can investigate and repair the damage.”

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A council spokeswoman said: “We’re very sorry to hear about this incident and wish the little girl a speedy recovery.” On Amey, she added: “Our contract with them includes standards around how equipment is inspected and maintained. We are now looking at what happened in more detail.”