Condolences

On February 23 a lamp post next to Chiswick Town Hall fell onto a pram fatally injuring a baby boy. The boy died two days later in hospital. This happened about forty yards from my house and it is undoubtedly an awful tragedy. The council have been doing roadworks at the top of Sutton Court Road for as long as I have lived there. I suspect that the continually repairs could have weakened the foundations surrounding the lamp post which may have led to the accident.

Walking past the scene to get to the high street is a sombre experience. There has been an outpouring of sympathy as many people have left flowers and soft toys. On Saturday I saw that there was a queue outside of the Town Hall to sign the Condolences Book. A lot of mothers, prams and babies in tow, stood crying at the point at which the baby was killed to pay their respect. I stood in the queue to sign the book. I could see from previous entries that the baby's name was Tommy. I left a message which simply said "I am so sorry for your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you."