The father of a 10-year-old Fife boy who fell down an open manhole and sustained serious injuries at a derelict site is calling for urgent action by Fife Council to prevent a tragedy.
Robbie St John, a primary six pupil at St Kenneth’s Primary in Ballingry, was playing in the old park near his Navitie Park home when he ran across the waste ground at the site of the former Benarty Community Centre and fell down a hole in the dark.
He sustained a nasty wound that went through to the bone on his right leg. He underwent an operation under general anaesthetic at Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital and is likely to be off school until at least January.
Robbie’s shocked father, Robbie, 44, told The Courier the wound was more like one from an “axe attack” and he urged Fife Council to fence off and make safe the site to prevent further incidents.
Mr St John said: “There are no signs or fences to keep people out of the site, which is next to the playpark. Robbie was running through the old park when he fell into the manhole, which was about two feet deep, and it gashed through to the bone.
“He managed to run about 100 yards up the road to find me. I put alcohol wipes on and got him to the A&E department at the Victoria.
“We were there for three hours as they tried to fix it. They strapped him up and sent him home with an open gash. We had to go back down the next day for the operation.”
Mr St John said Fife Council this week filled in the manhole that his son fell down, after the issue was raised with the council by The Courier.
He also said residents have been concerned about the state of the Fife Council-owned site since the community centre was demolished 18 months ago.
Self-employed fencing contractor Tom Kinnaird, 43, lives close to the site and has been campaigning for action for more than a year.
“Over a year ago the former Benarty Community Centre was demolished, having been condemned,” he said. “However, the demolition works were never fully completed, and members of the community contacted Fife Council to report the dangerous state in which the area had been left.
“Bricks from the demolition were crushed on-site but left lying on the grounds, creating a hazard. Broken drain covers were left in a dangerous state. Sharp pipework has been left exposed, as well as electrical wiring from the old lighting columns. The perimeter wall is in a very poor state, with hundreds of loose bricks.
“Despite the community alerting Fife Council to the problems, nothing has been done.”
Council chief executive Steve Grimmond said: “I’m very sorry if a child has been hurt on this site and I have asked for this site to be inspected immediately to ensure it is safe. Fife Council takes public safety very seriously and all steps are taken to ensure vacant sites like this are kept safe.”
Cowdenbeath MSP Alex Rowley said: “The council had given assurances that the site of the former community centre would be maintained in a proper state until an alternative use can be found.
“It is therefore of concern that someone has been injured on the site and I am trying to find out how this happened and seeking assurance that all steps will be taken to ensure the site is safe.”