- Child’s death prompts yew tree warning
- Coroner criticizes lack of advisory
- UKHSA responds, council evaluates
After a young child died from consuming wild berries and leaves in a park, a coroner issued a warning against doing so.
While strolling through Fletcher Moss Park in Manchester, Benn Curran-Nicholls, aged 14, ingested berries and foliage of the yew tree, both poisonous due to toxic seeds.
During the inquest, coroner Andrew Bridgman deemed it “illogical” that the council failed to issue a public health advisory following his death.
Additionally, he suggested that signs in the park should indicate that the tree was toxic.
Mr Bridgman concluded that the adolescent had perished in an accident.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) stated it would “respond in due course to the coroner’s recommendations” and assisted Manchester City Council after this tragic incident.
On September 18, 2022, during a daily park stroll, the autistic adolescent ingested the berries and leaves of a tree that fascinated him. The next day, he passed away at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
According to the coroner, neither his father nor the neighbourhood superintendent for environmental health of the local government were informed that yew trees were poisonous.
According to the Royal Horticultural Society, the substance of yew berries is non-toxic; however, all other tree components, including the seeds contained within the fruit, are toxic.
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Mr Bridgman stated that in June 2022, the youngster and his family relocated from Australia to Didsbury.
He stated that “refractory cardiogenic shock due to taxane alkaloid poisoning subsequent to the ingestion of yew tree berries and leaves” was the medical cause of Benn’s demise.
Adolescent’s Demise Ruled an Accident
Mr Bridgman submitted a report to the council regarding preventing future fatalities in response to two concerns raised after the boy’s death.
Mr. Bridgman reported several cases despite yew tree poisoning being uncommon.
The inquest heard that the council refrained from disclosing the dangers of consuming yew tree berries out of concern for suicide attempts and to avoid discouraging individuals from consuming something they “wouldn’t normally be eating.”
This was disregarded by Mr Bridgman, who stated, “It is illogical to abstain from transmitting communications messages for educational, warning, and informational objectives.”
Berries and similar substances may draw young children as they are incapable of recognizing the dangers and risks associated with illness, much less mortality.
His second concern was the absence of signs in the park cautioning against consuming the berries and foliage of the yew tree, both poisonous.
Council’s Commitment to Safety Measures
A Manchester City Council spokesman expressed deepest condolences to the family during this tragic time.
We are approaching this matter with the utmost seriousness and will persist in seeking guidance on optimal methodologies and implementing the coroner’s recommendations as they become necessary.
UKHSA continues to assist Manchester City Council colleagues about this tragic case, and we will respond to the coroner’s recommendations in due time, according to a UKHSA representative.
