By Matt Blake: 15:19 GMT, 14 May 2012 The Mail
Tommy Hollis died a day before his first birthday, after the cable engineer mistook the post's
steel base for a tramline and sawed through it.
His childminder Anna Martin was wheeling the sleeping toddler past roadworks when she heard
a 'hollow' noise followed by a 'terrible scream'.
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=Untitled-1-14.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/Untitled-1-14.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
The post fell with such force that it knocked out a grandmother standing nearby.
Speaking ahead of the inquest into their son's death, the Tommy's parents, Chris and Kate,
demanded to know the truth behind their son's tragic death.
Kelvin Elmore, a civil engineer with construction firm Mc Nicholas, was clearing obstructions under
the ground ready for laying new cables for Virgin Media when he cut the steel plate, five days
before the incident.
In a statement read to West London Coroner's Court, Mr Elmore said he thought the steel - 18
inches from the lamp post - was part of an old tram line and did not realise it was connected to
the lamp post in any way.
Mr Elmore, who was not on site when the lamp post fell, said he was 'utterly devastated' to have
been involved in the incident.
The devastated workman who felled the lamppost told West London Coroner's Court that he
wished he had died that day instead of Tommy.
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=article-2144221-1314B22C000005DC-522_634x421.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/article-2144221-1314B22C000005DC-522_634x421.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Tommy Hollis died a day before his first birthday, after the cable engineer mistook the post's
steel base for a tramline and sawed through it.
His childminder Anna Martin was wheeling the sleeping toddler past roadworks when she heard
a 'hollow' noise followed by a 'terrible scream'.
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=Untitled-1-14.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/Untitled-1-14.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
The post fell with such force that it knocked out a grandmother standing nearby.
Speaking ahead of the inquest into their son's death, the Tommy's parents, Chris and Kate,
demanded to know the truth behind their son's tragic death.
Kelvin Elmore, a civil engineer with construction firm Mc Nicholas, was clearing obstructions under
the ground ready for laying new cables for Virgin Media when he cut the steel plate, five days
before the incident.
In a statement read to West London Coroner's Court, Mr Elmore said he thought the steel - 18
inches from the lamp post - was part of an old tram line and did not realise it was connected to
the lamp post in any way.
Mr Elmore, who was not on site when the lamp post fell, said he was 'utterly devastated' to have
been involved in the incident.
The devastated workman who felled the lamppost told West London Coroner's Court that he
wished he had died that day instead of Tommy.
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=article-2144221-1314B22C000005DC-522_634x421.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/article-2144221-1314B22C000005DC-522_634x421.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Last edited:
