Leo Latifi inquest: Boy hit head after locker fell over

A boy who had climbed a locker unit in a changing room died when it fell over and he hit his head, an inquest heard.

Leo Latifi had gone to a swimming club at Great Baddow High School in Chelmsford, Essex, on 23 May last year.

He was with a friend while his father watched his younger brother swim, the hearing in Chelmsford was told.

The friend told police in a statement read out in court that Leo was climbing the locker when it fell. He died in hospital from a severe head injury.

The transcript of the friend's police interview was read out by the coroner's officer.

The boy said Leo, aged nine, was "climbing lockers and I was at the bottom of the lockers", with just the two of them in the room.

"We were like chatting and that then I felt it going back so I jumped off and went to the side of it," he said.

Leo "tried to put one foot down but he couldn't, then his head hit the bench", he said.

The boys had climbed the lockers before, the inquest was told.

Mark Buxton, the school's site manager, said the changing rooms were refurbished in 2005-6 and new vinyl flooring was installed in 2013-14.

Mr Buxton said he thought the flooring contractor "cut round the lockers so... he just left the lockers in place".

"It wasn't until after the incident that I saw the vinyl had been laid to the end of the wall and an indent of the locker base was visible," he said.

He said the lockers "looked to have integrity, they looked to be robust".

The inquest continues.

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