UPDATE: 5.38pm, Wednesday 24th October

THE wall which collapsed yesterday at Monmouth Leisure Centre, seriously injuring a pupil was a partition in the men's changing room, a spokesman for Monmouthshire County Council confirmed today. He added that it was a 1.8m high breeze block-built wall.

The spokesman also said: "The centre is only 12 years old and was subject to a full structural survey three years ago. It is regularly maintained and we had no concerns about a maintenance backlog or any on-going problems with the centre.

"Following the accident we have conducted a thorough test of the leisure centre and the county's three other leisure facilities. No problems have been identified and the type of wall does not appear in any of our other leisure centres."

Monmouth Leisure Centre remains open.

Monmouthshire County Council Leader Cllr Peter Fox said: "We're obviously shocked and upset at this accident and Daniel and his family are uppermost in our thoughts."

He added: I would like to add my thanks to the emergency services for their fantastic response to this and also to our own staff who were on the scene less than a minute after the accident and carried out first aid on Daniel before the arrival of the paramedics."

 

UPDATE: 3.00pm, Wednesday 24th October

THE headteacher of the boy injured by the collapsed wall, Daniel Morgan release a statement this afternoon.

Vaughan Davies of Monmouth Comprehensive School said: "The whole school community’s thoughts are with the student and his family. The student is charismatic and engaging and is admired across the whole school.

"The student, later in the academic year, will be taking a lead role in our school production. We are all waiting for him to return and wish him a speedy recovery."

UPDATE: 10.09am, Wednesday 24th October

Monmouth wall collapse boy 'in critical but stable condition'

THE pupil badly injured in yesterday's wall collapse at Monmouth Leisure centre is in a critical but stable condition and is in intensive care at Nevill Hall hospital.

A spokesman for the Aneurin Bevan Health Board said the boy's name is Daniel Morgan.

He is currently being transferred to the University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff.

UPDATE: 7.08pm, Tuesday 23rd October

FIRE crews spent around an hour freeing a Gwent schoolboy after a wall fell on him this afternoon.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service were called to Monmouth Leisure Centre at 2.11pm to help the injured teenager.

A spokeswoman for the fire service said the 15-year-old boy was released from a concrete block partition wall and crews from Ebbw Vale, Malpas and Monmouth left the scene at 3.21pm.

The Welsh Ambulance Service confirmed the Monmouth Comprehensive pupil had suffered a leg injury.

Paramedics attended following reports a wall had fallen on the boy and he was taken to Abergavenny's Nevill Hall Hospital, a spokeswoman for the service said.

The incident took place in the changing rooms prior to a games lesson.

It is not yet known how it happened, but as the Argus went to press Monmouthshire council confirmed the Health and Safety Executive were on site.

A spokesman for the local authority council said: "We are able to confirm that a Monmouth Comprehensive student was injured today in an accident at Monmouth Leisure Centre.

"The accident took place at the changing rooms prior to a games lesson. The student has been taken to hospital.

"The Health and Safety Executive has been informed and is leading an investigation into the incident.

"Our thoughts are with the injured student and his family."

The spokesman said he was unable to release any more details because it was a child who was injured.

The Argus was told chairman of governors at the school Stuart McLester rushed to the hospital following the incident.