A FIVE year old girl killed in a farmyard accident probably never heard the slurry tanker which reversed into her because she was helping her cousin to wash tractors, an inquest heard.

There were no reversing warning sounds on the vehicle, which was being driven by 19-year-old farm worker James Garlick, known to the children as Jim Jim.

Five-year-old Abi Emma Guy was dragged under the vehicle suffering head injuries which pathologist Dr Abdul Al-Dawoud said caused her death.

A jury of seven men and two women returned a verdict of accidental death.

Abi had been at her father's farm Shaygate, Skipton Old Road, Colne, with her older sister Laura from 5.15pm on August 4.

Her parents Graham and Joanne were separated and the girls were staying the night with their father.

Mrs Guy, of Colne Road, Kelbrook, told how she left the farm when Abi went to play with her cousins.

In an interview with police, Abi's cousin six-year-old Jimmy Anderson, who lives at the farm, said he was holding the power washer cleaning a white tractor, while Abi was standing nearby.

He said he saw 'Jim Jim' in another tractor which had a tanker on the back of it and was reversing. He told the officer the wheel ran over Abi's foot and she tried to run away but her foot was stuck under the wheel which went over her chest.

In a statement, Mr Garlick said he was looking over his shoulder while reversing and could not see Abi.

Abi died later in Burnley General Hospital.

PC Christopher Edwards, from Colne road policing unit, said a test was carried out with the power washer on and the tractor and tanker reversing slowly.

He said: "It was difficult to pick up the sound of the tractor against the noise of the power washer." An accident investigation report concluded there was a blind spot at the rear of the vehicle.

East Lancashire coroner David Smith asked Mr Guy if he was aware of the Health and Safety Executive approved code of conduct for children on farms but Mr Guy said he had never seen it.

The code states that arrangements should be made to prevent children having access to areas where vehicles are moving.

Mr Smith said: "The Health and Safety Executive is very concerned about the large number of accidents that happen to children on farms and have issued leaflets in an attempt to try to prevent them."

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