Sainsbury's probing travelator accident involving six-year-old as 'matter of urgency'

Sainsbury's said it is investigating how a young girl's fingers became trapped in a travelator at its Blackpool store 'as a matter of urgency'.
Sainsbury's is investigating the accidentSainsbury's is investigating the accident
Sainsbury's is investigating the accident

The six-year-old was flown to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Merseyside yesterday afternoon after spending 50 minutes with her hand trapped on the moving walkway, the fire service said.

The emergency services were called to the supermarket, in Talbot Road, at around 1.50pm, a spokesman for Blackpool Fire Station said.

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Firefighters used tools to dismantle some of the machinery before paramedics took the girl to Blackpool Airport, where a helicopter was waiting to take her to Liverpool for specialist treatment, he added.

A spokesman for Sainsbury's said: "We can confirm there was an incident involving a young girl on one of our travelators in our Blackpool store.

"We are investigating the cause of this incident as a matter of urgency and, most importantly, wish her a speedy recovery."

One horrified shopper described seeing the emergency services parked outside the store, and said: "You could hear the girl's screams all round the store. It was horrible; the poor thing.

"They had to sedate her."

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The travelator is used by shoppers to get to the store from the first and second storey car park, and features an audible warning telling customers to stand still while they're using it.

The girl was trapped near to the top, it is understood, but the extent of her injuries are not yet known.

The walkway was still out of use at 4.30pm yesterday, though staff were seen working on it. The store was open for business.