Tuesday, March 19, 2024
1Baby boy injured at eco-festival

Baby boy injured at eco-festival

By Alexander Lawrie

A SEVEN-WEEK-OLD baby was rushed to hospital with head injuries following an accident at Scotland’s largest eco-festival.

His new mum was using a makeshift baby changing facility when the wooden floor of the unit suddenly gave way.

The youngster – who hasn’t been identified – was understood to have fallen to the ground and suffered a head injury.

The incident on Saturday has overshadowed this year’s Big Tent Festival held in the grounds of Falkland Palace, Fife.

An ambulance crew arrived shortly after 2pm on Saturday before taking the un-named boy to Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline.

Health and safety investigation

It is understood the tot was kept in hospital overnight for observation.

Mike Small, festival organiser, and also creator of the Fife Diet, admitted he was relieved the baby had suffered no long-lasting injury.

Mr Small, 40, said: “Our thoughts are with the family. We will start an investigation with health and safety over the incident as soon as possible.

“In the four years this festival has run we have had only one arrest and unfortunately this is the first accident of its kind to happen here.

“We don’t want this to overshadow the main event.”

A Fife police spokesperson said: “It appears the baby’s injuries were not serious and may have caused more of a fright than anything.”

The popular two-day festival attracted around 6,000 green revellers – an increase of one third on last year’s attendance.

The festival sets itself apart from others by encouraging people to live in a more sustainable way for the good of the planet.

Eco-friendly diet

Mr Small hit the headlines last year when he encouraged up to 1,000 like-minded, eco-friendly souls to sign up for his Fife Diet.

The diet encouraged people to eat nothing but produce grown from their own area for a year. It was designed to bring awareness to the carbon footprint of the average meal consumed in Scotland.

The scheme was inspired by a Canadian venture which claimed a typical ingredient in a modern meal has traveled more than 1500 miles from farm to the plate.

Mr Small is now hoping to encourage schools in Fife to adopt the scheme, and is currently applying for funding from Fife Council to extend the ideas behind the diet.

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