Former directors of Chester’s ‘Flip Out’ trampoline park guilty of safety failings after 270 accidents

Two former directors of a Chester-based trampoline park have pleaded guilty to health and safety offences at Chester Crown Court.

This follows an investigation by Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Public Protection team at the trampoline and adventure park known as ‘Flip Out,’ located between Chester and Ellesmere Port.

The charges followed an investigation into 270 known accidents involving members of the public over a seven-week period between December 2016 and February 2017.

The council said a number of local young people suffered ‘significant injuries’ at the trampoline park, including 11 people fracturing their spines.

Incidents revolved around a piece of equipment known as the Tower Jump at Flip Out Chester, which was said by its directors, David Shuttleworth and Matthew Melling, to be the largest in the world at that time.

At Chester Crown Court, Shuttleworth, 33, of Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, and Melling, 33, of Spinningfields, Manchester, each pleaded guilty to an offence contrary to Sections 3 and 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, for failing to prevent exposure to risk.

Sentencing for the two defendants was adjourned for pre-sentence reports and a date to be fixed.

The Council’s Cabinet Member for Homes, Planning and Safer Communities, Councillor Christine Warner said: “Our Public Protection team always deals strongly with businesses that put residents or visitors to the borough at risk. This business had a total disregard for safety regulations.

“Injuries in this case included 11 fractured spines, as well as other serious injuries. Those injured on a daily basis included both adults and children.”

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