The parents of a Birmingham schoolboy who died at a popular snow sports venue have spoken of their anger and disappointment after a coroner confirmed there would be no formal inquest into his tragic death.
Fiona Gingell, the coroner for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, made the ruling during a pre-inquest review hearing at Stafford Coroner’s Court on Friday, November 7, 2025.
Family's Heartbreak and the Tragic Incident
Louis Watkiss, a 12-year-old from Sutton Coldfield, lost his life on September 24, 2021 while attending a friend's tobogganing birthday party at the Tamworth SnowDome.
The court heard how a member of staff, Joseph Dibb, collided with Louis as the schoolboy came down the slope on a toboggan. The collision caused Louis to fall, and the employee fell on him. Louis sustained a catastrophic head injury and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Coroner's Rationale for No Formal Inquest
In her decision, Coroner Fiona Gingell stated that the key questions an inquest would address—who died, and where, when, and how the death occurred—had already been thoroughly established by the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) criminal investigation.
This investigation concluded earlier in 2025. As a result, Ms Gingell determined there was no need for a formal inquest with witnesses, though an 'inquest in writing' based on the case paperwork is expected to proceed, with a written conclusion to be issued.
Following the hearing, Louis's father, Chris Watkiss, and his grandfather, Richard, were visibly upset. Chris described feeling a mix of "anger, bewilderment, astonishment, disappointment".
He criticised the police for a 28-day delay in interviewing the man involved in the incident and expressed his profound disappointment with the outcome.
A Fight for Public Confidence and Regulation
Louis's mother, Natalie Watkiss, said the family had wanted a formal inquest to ensure public confidence and to drive reform.
She highlighted that more than four years after their son's death, the snow leisure industry remains unregulated, and there is still no mandatory requirement for helmets to be worn during tobogganing activities.
"What’s been closed down today is a very disappointing and missed opportunity to learn, share that knowledge and make change," Natalie said. "The risks to children, and adults, remain as high now as they did when Louis tragically lost his life."
During the hearing, the coroner addressed specific concerns raised by the family. She noted that the pathologist had found Louis's injuries were not survivable and had no concerns about the emergency response.
Regarding the toboggan's integrity, an expert report from the HSE prosecution found it was checked and showed no relevant differences from another toboggan, concluding it did not contribute to the incident.
While Ms Gingell acknowledged that the provision of safety helmets was a significant issue, she stated this alone was not a sufficient reason to resume a coronial investigation. She emphasised that her role was to apply the law and that an inquest is not a public inquiry.
The SnowDome had previously admitted breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act. In February 2025, it was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £16,000 in costs. The HSE had described Louis's death as 'preventable'.
