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Tram risk audit at time of Croydon crash never revealed to TfL safety panel
The Croydon tram network was undergoing a safety audit at the time of the fatal Sandilands crash in 2016 – a fact not revealed to the chair of TfL’s safety panel at the time.
The former board member, tasked with overseeing investigations into the disaster, described the failure to inform him as “beyond shocking.”
Over the weekend it emerged that TfL had opened an investigation into operational risk at Trams Operations Limited (TOL) – a subsidiary of First Group – three weeks before the accident.
The incident killed seven passengers, the most deadly rail crash of the decade.
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A draft copy of the audit, obtained by City A.M., shows that fieldwork for the probe was completed on 15 November, six days after the crash occurred.
The initial findings were due to be released on 22 November, but never emerged.
At the time of the crash, Michael Liebreich was the chair of TfL’s Safety, Sustainability and HR Panel, and led the board’s oversight of the crash until July 2018.
He told City A.M.: “At no point was the fact that TfL were safety-auditing First Group’s tram operation at the time of the crash brought to our attention. The Audit and Assurance Committee of the board were never told about the part-completed audit.
“I find it beyond shocking to discover, nearly four years later, that TfL was undertaking a safety audit of the Croydon Tram at the exact time of the Sandilands crash.”
The draft audit first came to light when it was spotted by Tom Kearney, a campaigner for transport safety, in documents released in response to a Mayoral question by Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon.
Private Eye first reported the existence of the draft audit, which concluded that safety issues are “adequately controlled”, the second highest ranking.
The draft report makes no mention of the Sandilands crash, even though it took place while the investigation was ongoing.
Pidgeon told City A.M.: “It has taken consistent questioning and the use of freedom of information requests over the last four years by Assembly Members, campaigners and investigative journalists to simply ensure that we know what we do today.
“However questions still remain unanswered and I look forward to the Croydon tram inquest resuming as soon as possible to finally ensure that on such a vital issue as ensuring future passenger safety that no stone is left unturned.”
Audit ‘cancelled’ after incidentLater emails between TfL staff, seen by City A.M., confirmed that the audit had been “cancelled” in light of the incident.
The incident was the first time since 1959 that people had died in a tram accident in the UK. 62 people were also injured, 19 of whom seriously.
An inquest into the deaths was due to begin last week but has been postponed due to the change in coronavirus precautions.
A report from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), released in December 2017, found that driver error was the cause of the accident.
It found that the most likely scenario was that the driver had a “microsleep” episode approaching the bend.
A prior audit into TOL, conducted in 2014, found that arrangements for the management of operator fitness for duty, fatigue, drug and alcohol testing and monitoring, were “well controlled”.
The scope of the suppressed audit showed that investigators were looking into the issue of fatigue management for safety critical workers, in line with the Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006 (ROGS).
A subsequent audit into fatigue management across TOL’s operations was carried out in the aftermath of the crash and made a number of suggestions for improvement.
Liebreich added: “This is just the latest in a series of failures by First Group and TfL to release information about fatigue on the Croydon Tram before and after the crash: documents not being provided to the police, documents being released with pages missing, documents RAIB doesn’t seem to have obtained, and so on. It is very troubling indeed.”
A TfL spokesperson said: “We were carrying out an audit of ‘Trams Management of Operational Risk’ but this work was not concluded because it was superseded by the urgent investigation into the Sandilands tragedy. The RAIB was informed of the uncompleted audit.”
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A new campaign is launched to tackle exploitation in Cornwall
Every month across the UK over six hundred young people are safeguarded from exploitation, according to figures from the National Crime Agency. Children and young adults in Cornwall are not immune to this and we need to increase public awareness of the signs and indicators.
Today sees the launch of CETHESIGNS, a new campaign from Our Safeguarding Children Partnership and Safeguarding Adults Board, aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of child sexual exploitation and child criminal exploitation across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Chair of Our Safeguarding Children Partnership, John Clements, said: “The exploitation of children and young adults is often a hidden crime and takes many different forms. Regardless of what form it takes, the risks that children face at the hands of the perpetrators is very real and it must be stopped.
“Our aim is that this campaign will help friends, family or members of the general public to understand what the signs are and how they can help us to protect the children and young people of Cornwall.”
Tackling the exploitation of children and young adults across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is a shared priority of Cornwall Council, Our Safeguarding Children Partnership, Safer Cornwall, the Safeguarding Adults Board and other agencies.
One of the key points of this campaign is that exploited children and young people might not always ‘look’ vulnerable, or ‘act’ like victims, but there are some signs to look out for that can suggest things aren’t right.
Cabinet Member for Children, Public Health and Well Being at Cornwall Council, Sally Hawken added: “The important thing to remember is exploitation can take place anywhere and it can take many forms; sexual, criminal or modern slavery. It doesn’t matter if you work with children, drive a bus, work in a hotel or serve fast food, we want you to know the signs.
“We know that when we are aware of cases of exploitation, we are quick to act. However, we need members of the public to help us to identify those situations we are not aware of and that’s why knowing the signs can make an enormous difference.”
Children and young adults in Cornwall are not immune to exploitation and this campaign has been designed to increase public awareness of the signs and indicators. This body of work links into the new three-year Cornwall Exploitation Strategy from 2020-2023 for children and young adults aged up to 25.
John concluded: “We must work together to stop child exploitation. We do this by learning the signs and reporting anything that doesn’t seem right. It doesn’t matter if you’re not completely certain. Anything that you tell us could be vital in helping to keep children and young adults safe from exploitation.”
You can find more information on the campaign by visiting the Our Safeguarding Partnership website. Here, you will also find a host of campaign resources.
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First Woodford court battle could come this year
The first of what could be many legal claims relating to the collapse of the Woodford Equity Income fund is expected to be launched by the end of the year, reports emerged today.
London laywers Harcus Parker are co-ordinating a class action lawsuit and are believed to be ‘further down the track’ than rivals in preparing a case against Link, the firm’s ‘authorised corporate director.’
The Mail on Sunday first reported the news.
The legal firm have previously brought claims related to the Arch cru scandal against Link’s predecessor, Capita Financial Mangers.
Read more: Woodford investors will have to wait longer for their money
The fund was closed last year after a redemption request it couldn’t fulfil. Star fund manager Neil Woodford’s reputation was left in tatters and a number of investors are still waiting on receiving what is left of their cash.
Harcus Parker state on their website: “Link, as the Authorised Corporate Director of the Woodford Funds, has made millions in fees charged for adopting responsibility for safeguarding investors and ensuring that the Woodford Fund follows the rules.
“Our clients will allege that it failed adequately to supervise the Woodford Funds. This failure has proved to be catastrophic to those who invested their savings into the Woodford Fund and whose investments were locked into the Woodford Fund at suspension.”
It is understood by the Mail on Sunday that the key element of the claim will be that the firm did not ensure sufficient liquidity and that it had moved away from the objectives of the fund.
A spokesman for the firm told the Mail: It added: ‘The claim is going ahead and we expect to file soon on behalf of several thousand clients. Some 15,000 investors have expressed an interest in supporting the claim, of which 3,000 have gone on to become Harcus clients.”
Read more: Stricken Woodford fund battle expected to end in court
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