School Trust and Contractor Penalised for Health and Safety Failures After Tree Branch Injures Pedestrian

Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust and contractor Nicolas Thépot were fined after a 68-year-old woman was seriously injured by a falling tree branch while walking her dog in Newcastle. An investigation revealed that Thépot lacked proper training and used unsafe methods during tree felling, and the trust failed to verify his qualifications, leading to significant breaches of health and safety regulations.