Boy, 11, left covered in blood after metal pole crashes onto his head as he swims with sister

Hasan Hassan, 11, was left with deep cut on his head when a 40ft metal lighting beam fell from the ceiling at Southbury Leisure Centre in Enfield
Liam Coleman4 November 2019
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A schoolboy is “lucky to be alive” after a 40ft metal ceiling fitting crashed down on him at a busy north London swimming pool.

Hasan Hassan, 11, was left covered in blood when the lighting track from the ceiling at Southbury Leisure Centre in Enfield fell on his head.

He had been swimming with his sister Derin, nine, and had just left the pool when a float thrown up at the ceiling by another swimmer dislodged the fitting that fell on him, his mother said.

The keen footballer was left with a 5cm cut on the top of his head. He also suffered cuts and bruises on his arms. Hasan was taken to North Middlesex Hospital, where doctors glued his scalp back together.

His mother, Gulen Mustafa, 35, said: “He was covered in blood, he fell on his bottom, and then he stood up and ran to me. He was screaming and crying. I didn’t know what to think at first, he could have died.”

Hasan Hassan was left covered in blood

She added: “I told the lifeguard to call 999. There were still families in the pool when it happened.”

Hasan’s older sister, Suzan Bostanciogullari, 22, said: “It was so scary to watch it fall, we saw everything. My sister was beside him and I thought it had hit her too.”

The incident took place shortly after 2pm on October 27. Fusion Lifestyle, which operates the Enfield council-owned leisure centre, closed the pool and began an investigation. The pool reopened last Wednesday.

The 40ft lighting beam fell from the ceiling

Ms Mustafa, an entrepreneur who runs a halloumi business in Barnet, said the light fitting fell after another child in the pool threw a float up to the ceiling, and the metal fitting was dislodged.

She said: “It is basic health and safety, this should never have happened. I just don’t want this to happen to any other family, we are thinking of taking legal action, but we just want the centre to be made safer.”

A Fusion spokesman said: “The pool has been closed while we made a thorough safety assessment. A comprehensive investigation is under way.”

The centre opened in 2002. Three years ago Enfield council spent £1.2 million refurbishing the changing rooms and gym facilities at Southbury and Edmonton Leisure Centres.

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