Expert Calls For Safety Focus

A four-year-old boy is recovering after suffering facial and body injuries when a wall mirror at a Marks and Spencer store fell on top of him.

Adam Ballard needed stitches at Swansea’s Morriston Hospital following the incident, in which the mirror fell from a wall at the retailer’s outlet on the city’s Oxford Street at the weekend.

The glass on the item shattered and left the child covered in both cuts and splinters, while Adam’s mother has suggested he is lucky to have not suffered further problems.

Marks and Spencer have confirmed they are investigating what caused the incident.

Katrina Elsey, a specialist at Irwin Mitchell who helps those who have been injured in public places such as supermarkets and retail outlets, said: “The importance of safety within shops cannot be underestimated, both for the sake of staff and consumers who make use of them.

“It is likely that this incident will lead Marks and Spencer and other retailers to ensure that furnishings such as wall-mounted mirrors are fully fit for purpose and do not pose any risk to the public.

“Incidents of this kind can prove to be very traumatic, particularly when children are involved. It is vital that important safety lessons are learnt which will prevent a repeat of this in the future.”