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Skegness herald 1901

DEATH OF A CHILD by POISONING

An inquest was held at the Vine Hotel on Tuesday last by Dr. Walker, of Spilsby, coroner for the district, on the body of Sarah Jane Toyne, three years of age, who resided with her parents at Croft Marsh, and who died from irritant poisoning. It appeared from the evidence that the deceased and a younger sister had eaten some mutton which had laeen in the house Borne days and smelt very strong. They were soon after this taken ill, and Dr. Wallace sent for.

The younger of the two recovered, but the other died in great pain. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased died from inflamation of the bowels caused by irritant poisoning, but that there was not sufficient evidence to show how the poisoning was caused.

Mr. S. G. Randall was foreman of the jury.

January 1999 Skegness news story

LOCAL MAN IS ARRESTED AFTER TEENAGER’S BODY IS FOUND ON BEACH
A 33-YEAR-OLD local man was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the murder of 15-year-old Skegness boy, Christopher Swales.
He appeared before Skegness magistrates on Wednesday, when police were granted a warrant of further detention, allowing them a further 36 hours to continue their inquiries.

The boy’s body was found by a beach cleaner at about 7.45am on Sunday on Skegness beach. When discovered, the body was lying face-down in the sand near the North Parade car park.
Police cordoned off the area, and the body was taken to Boston Pilgrim Hospital where a post mortem was carried out by Home Office pathologist, Dr Clive Bouch. Police confirmed death was the result of a physical attack.
A media appeal went out in an attempt to identify the body, said at the time to be that of a young man, aged 16 to 20.
Night club
Receipts found with him indicated he had been at The Street night club on Saturday night. The Police announced on Tuesday the boy was Skegness Earl of Scarbrough High School pupil, Christopher Swales.

Det Supt Nick Howard, heading the inquiry, revealed the identity and age of the boy. He said: “This is the murder of a child and it is a very serious offence.”
Christopher, whose parents are divorced, lived with his mother, Andrea Dreher, on Roman Bank. She works at Skegness Seathorne Primary School.
His father, Brian, a former postman, is a delivery driver for Iceland, Skegness, and lives at Burgh-le-Marsh.
Christopher was said to have been staying with friends at the weekend, but police are unclear as to why it took so long before anyone realised he was missing.
An operation involving 50 to 60 police personnel, including incident room staff, has been mounted, with officers working from 8am until about 10pm to llpm each day.
Inquiries
House-to-house inquiries have been conducted in the area between Scarbrough Avenue and North Parade Extension, Skegness.
Owner of The Street, Mr Mervyn Cooper, who was interviewed on BBC Radio Lincolnshire on Monday was one of the first to help police with investigations.
Mr Cooper said: “It was a very quiet night and everyone was very shocked” at what had happened.
He said The Street had taken 80 per cent of the business in town that evening. He had supplied the police with CCTV footage of the area not covered by the town’s CCTV system. But nothing untoward was discovered on the tapes.
Mr Cooper described the dead boy as “very, very quiet and inoffensive.” His security staff had never had any reason to correct him, he said.
Mr Steve Elliott, head teacher at the Earl of Scarbrough, said: “Staff and pupils of the school are extremely shocked and saddened by Chris’ tragic death. Chris was a very able boy with an excellent attendance record who was expected to achieve top grades in his final exams this year.”
Letters of praise
The boy had contributed to the school newspaper and received letters of praise for outstanding results. Mr Elliott said: “Chris was a popular lad with a good circle of friends and classmates who are extremely distressed by his death. His brother, sister and cousin also attend the school.”
He went on: “The whole community is affected by a tragedy of this nature and our deepest sympathies go out to his family at this time. We will give all our support to his family and friends.”
On Tuesday, the school was in the process of arranging counselling for those pupils who had difficulty in coming to terms with the tragedy, and were enlisting outside help, as well as the school’s own pastoral system.
Floral tributes have been pouring into the school and are being laid by pupils at the main entrance.
Helping police
Mr Elliott said the school was helping the police in their inquiries. He appealed to anyone with any information to contact Skegness Police Station. General manager of The Street, Mr Andy Wheelhouse, said he was closing the 60’s Bar, a favourite haunt of Christopher, tonight, Friday, and tomorrow, Saturday, as a mark of respect.
The management has agreed to a request from Christopher’s friends to put up a memorial plaque in the bar, said Mr Wheelhouse.

At the time of his death, Christopher, who was 5ft 11in tall, with shoulder-length mid-brown hair, was wearing a blue, round-necked teeshirt with Symposium Average Man in white lettering on the front, blue denim jeans, a white corduroy zip-up jacket and black Airwear boots.
Police are still anxious to hear from anyone who may have seen Christopher in the The Street on Saturday night. Anyone who has any information about the incident, however slight, is urged to contact Skegness Police immediately on 01754 614346.

[follow-up story]

POLICE investigating the murder of Christopher Swales, are still interested in hearing from anyone who saw him in or leaving The Street night club on Saturday night.
They now have sketchy descriptions of a number of people believed to have entered the club some time between llpm and midnight whom they need to interview.
Two females walked in from the direction of Skegness town centre. One was believed to be wearing knee-length boots and a dark-coloured coat. The second was wearing high-heeled shoes and a coat with a belt.
They also want to interview a female, described as dark-haired and wearing dark shoes and a strapped, low-cut dress.
In addition, there were two men who walked in together.
One was wearing, a light-coloured short-sleeved shirt; the other a long-sleeved shirt and dark trousers.
Police need to hear from these people as soon as possible as they may have information which is very important to the inquiry. They are urged to telephone 01754 614346.

Father

THE FATHER of murder victim Christopher Swales choked back the tears as he spoke of his memories of his son.
“How do you remember your boy? There are a million things, aren’t there? I know we didn’t live together, but we were pretty close,” said Brian Swales at his home in Burgh-le-Marsh.
“He was a sociable lad and there wasn’t an ounce of aggression in him,” he said. “He wanted to go into engineering and he would have succeeded at whatever he wanted to do. We loved him. He was a happy-go-lucky, quiet lad. He was harmless.”
Christopher, 15, a pupil of the Earl of
Scarbrough High School, was found murdered on the beach at Skegness on Sunday morning, having been to the Street nightspot the previous evening.
A post mortem examination later revealed that he had suffered a physical assault, with injuries to his face.
SO PROUD
“He was such a smashing lad. We were so proud of him,” said Mr Swales. “He was a 15year-old with the head of an 18,or 20-year-old on him. He was a clever lad and I was not worried about him when he went out because he was level headed and sensible.

“He had just done his mock exams and done very well, with high grades. It’s ever so difficult. They want to grow up and go out,
He spoke of the great support he had received from family and friends.
LOT OF SUPPORT
“Everybody has been marvellous, we have had a lot of support, but on the other hand it’s very hard when the phone does keep ringing,” he said.
He was full of praise for the police who he said had done a thorough job.
“We allow all our children out at night. We all think they will be all right, but it is not the world that it used to be,” said Mr Swales. “You can’t wrap them up in cotton wool. I think we need to know exactly where our children are if we can, without being paranoid.” Father-of-three Mr Swales, a delivery driver for Iceland, recalled how he was told that he had lost his son.
“The worst thing is, I was on my delivery round and I was talking about it and saying I wished it was a world where people could walk safely. “I called round to my ex-wife’s house to find out that it was Christopher.”
It was very distressing for everybody, said Mr Swales.
He echoed the police appeal for witnesses. “If anyone knows when Chris left the Street nightclub, or any information that will help the police it would be very appreciated,” he said.

Man accused in beach boy murder
A 32-YEAR-OLD Skegness man has appeared before the town’s magistrates, charged with the murder of a 15-yearold boy.
Neil Walgate, of Beacon Park Drive, is charged with murdering Christopher Mark Swales at Skegness between January 1 and January 4, 1999, contrary to common law.
Prosecuting solicitor, Mr John Mitchell, successfully applied for Walgate to be remanded in custody for seven days until January 18.
Mr Mark Hudson, representing the defendant, made no application for bail. Reporting restrictions
were not lifted.
Tests revealed on Monday Christopher Swales died as a result of suffocation.
Police are still anxious to speak to anyone who was at the Street night club on the night of his death, and who may have seen or spoken to him.
Insp Nick Howard, heading the inquiry, is extending the search to include the driver of a white car seen on North Parade car park, late on the night of Saturday, January 2, or in the early hours of the morning of Sunday, January 3.
In memory of Chris
FAMILY, friends, and teachers and pupils of Skegness Earl of Scarbrough High School paid their last respects to teenager Christopher Mark Swales, on Wednesday, the day which would have been his 16th birthday.
The funeral of Christopher, who was found dead on the beach near the North Parade car park on Sunday, January 3, was held in St Matthew’s Church, Skegness.
The Earl of Scarbrough High School, where Christopher was a pupil, was closed for the day.
The Rector, Rev John Wickstead, took the service. Head boy and head girl of the school John Hallam and Louise Woollard gave the readings, and headteacher Mr Steve Elliott, spoke about Christopher.
He said the school community had had great difficulty in coming to terms with Christopher’s death. He also spoke of his sense of humour, and said his work and effort at school was an example to others.
Mr Elliott said Christopher was very popular and
maintained the difficult task of working hard at his studies but still being one of the lads.
He added that Chris should be a light to follow. Some of the many tributes from Christopher’s friends were read out by Mr Wickstead.
The service was followed by interment in St Mary’s cemetery, Winthorpe.
At the time of his death, Christopher was wearing a Symposium blue “Average Man” T-shirt. In a recent edition of the magazine Kerrang, it said the band Symposium were to honour Christopher.
Tragedy
Last February, while on stage in Bradford, Symposium vowed to never again play their Average Man single live, but changed their minds when friends of Christopher wrote to them informing them of the tragedy.
The band said they never wanted to release Average Man but were harangued into it by the record company.
Letters from Christhopher’s friends asked them to play it for Chris, and the band have said if they can find out which gig his friends are going to, they would like to play it then. They said: “It would be our way of getting to him, wherever he may be.”
A local man has been charged with Christopher’s murder and remanded in custody.

More about the trial in the Christopher Swales murder will be uploaded shortly.

DAWN RAIL HORROR
TWENTY-ONE sheep lying on the railway line near Havenhouse Station were killed when a four-coach diesel train ploughed into them just before dawn on Monday.

The train, which could have been travelling at up to 50 mph on that stretch of line, was the 5.40 from Boston to Skegness. It was empty except for the driver and guard. Mr Jim Harvey and Mr Reg Longford, both of Boston, and three British Rail staff travelling to work at Skegness Station.
One, a cleaner, called it “an alarming experience.” She said the train was rocking about and they were afraid it was going to go over.
The accident happened at 6.12, and according to the signalman who reported it, all the sheep were killed outright.
A British Rail spokesman said the train was only slightly damaged and continued on schedule. It was the first train out of Skegness at 06.25. There was no blockage of the line and no danger of derailment.
“The line is well fenced,” he said. “There are other ways of getting on to the line beside through the fences. We shall have to enquire as to exactly how they got on the line so that it doesn’t happen again.”
The sheep belonged to Mr James Epton, of Northolme Hall, Wainfleet.
He said the 21 sheep were part of a unit of 40 ewes and one ram. When they had been left in a field near the railway about half-a-mile away the previous afternoon, everything had been secure,”I’m not quite certain where they got on to the line,” he said. “There’s no question of any negligence on the part of the railway. Obviously access hadn’t been gained at that point.
They must have got on to the track and huddled against the crossing gates on the Skegness side of the station.
“It took us an hour or three-quarters of an hour to clear the line. It really vas a most extraordinary sight half a ton of jointed lamb. They were literally in pieces, chopped to bits.”

Mr Epton, who has 400 sheep, said he has never had a whole flock stray before. The total value of those killed was £264.

1973 Skegness news story

Boy `left for ten minutes’ fell to death A 10-YEAR-OLD ****** [Down’s Syndrome] boy, on holiday at Skegness in a boarding house, was “left for no more than 10 minutes, asleep in bed with the room door locked, and inside that time he was lying on the concrete floor below as good as dead,” said Boston’s Coroner, Mr H. G. Frost, at a Boston inquest on Thursday. The inquiry heard how young Peter Wilson, of Walsall, was seem to fall about 20 feet from a sloping roof beneath his window at 7 Algitha Road, (pictured below) Skegness, in August.

Medical evidence showed that his death, a few hours later in Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital, was due to multiple injuries of the skull. The boy’s father, sales clerk, Mr John Henry Wilson, of Lister Close, Walsall, said he and his wife and their two sons — Robin (16) was the other — were holidaying at Skegness with friends. After spending most of the day on the beach they returned to the boarding house and then most of the party went to the nearby Lyndhurst Club, leaving Peter to be put to bed by his mother and grandmother in Room Eight on the top floor. Later, just after the mother and grandmother had joined them, Robin ran in to say Peter had fallen from the bedroom window, The bedroom door was locked because in the past Peter had got up at night and walked from his room. Mrs Lilian Wilson, said her son, who had been enjoying himself in the sea, needed attention every moment of every day. She and her mother-in-law put him to bed at 9 pm and stayed with him until he was asleep, when at 9.50 they went to the club. The window was left open and there was a small chair under it, but Peter was not normality able to climb. Mr John Edward Cressey, a shop assistant, of 4 Lawn Avenue, Skegness, said he saw the boy sliding feet first down the sloping roof below the casement bedroom window. He landed on the concrete forecourt below. The jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure. The Coroner commented: “No one could possibly point the finger of blame at anyone,”

1972 local news story. I have edited out an appellation which is socially unacceptable nowadays, and inserted in its place the term ‘Down’s Syndrome’.

Tower Gardens is the venue for many events in Skegness. Today the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust was holding a Minibeast Safari.

The aim of the event, organised by the Gibraltar Point Nature Reserve Team, was to increase children’s awareness of the natural environment.

There were many activities arranged for the children. The most popular nature activity was searching for minibeasts in trays containing piles of undergrowth, leaves etc.

The chilldren found various specimens including woodlice, centipedes…

…and worms! This wriggly little specimen, seconds after this photograph was taken, dropped from the little boy’s hand and went down his sleeve!.

The boy, quite unperturbed (as we would all be wouldn’t we??), calmly pulled it out again.

Activities inside the marquee included painting and drawing pictures of minibeasts…

…and making models. This mum and dad were helping their children make a snail and a squirrel.

Then the time came for the Minibeast Safari to begin.

Kim Hudson, the Safari leader, firstly briefed the children of any possible hazzards they were to watch out for, like stinging nettles, litter, etc.

Then off the children and their parents went, around the Tower Gardens to search for their minibeasts!

Minibeast Safari Skegness News on Video