Police investigating a horrendous playpark accident that left a two-year-old girl scarred have found no evidence of criminality.
Fife Council suggested in August that bolts were deliberately removed from a metal fence at Letham Glen in Leven before it crashed down on top of toddler Esme Philip.
They told the youngster’s parents Stacey and Kyle someone must have used a specialist tool to remove the bolts, later found nearby.
But while police are still probing the horrific incident, they have so far been unable to confirm it was malicious.
Esme, from Rosyth, was seriously injured and left screaming in agony after the accident on July 25.
She had to have surgery to repair a deep wound in her forehead and needed so many stitches the surgeon lost count.
Stacey said: “The police are keeping it as unresolved.
“If any new evidence comes forward then they’ll look at it but we still have no idea how this happened.”
‘Someone has removed these bolts with a tool’
Esme was in the Glen with brothers Warren, seven, and Isaac, five, and grandparents Amanda and Fraser McDonald, when the accident happened.
She ran over to the fence – which surrounds an ability swing – and put her feet on the bottom spar.
This was enough to cause the entire panel to fall on top of her.
Bolts that should have been holding the structure together were later found on the ground nearby.
It happened just two days after an inspection at the park found the bolts were secure.
Council officers later said they must have been removed in the period between the inspection and the accident.
In an email to the family a day after the incident, senior manager John Rodigan said internal investigations had found: “Sometime between Friday and the accident, someone has removed these bolts with a tool.”
Stacey told The Courier: “The council told us someone had removed the bolts deliberately.
“Now the police say there’s no sign it’s been tampered with and no evidence of criminal activity.
“How it happened doesn’t change the outcome but the email, that’s just words.
“How did this happen and could it have been prevented?
“These are the questions we want answered.”
In a statement issued to The Courier, Mr Rodigan said: “The corporate investigation and Health and Safety Executive overview confirmed that Fife Council had followed the industry-regulated inspection regime.
“It would appear that the equipment was tampered with after the routinely-scheduled inspection and Police Scotland are now investigating.”
A police spokeswoman confirmed no evidence of criminality had been found to date but added: “Enquiries are still ongoing.”
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Fife playpark accident: Who removed bolts that caused metal fence to fall on two-year-old?