Boy, 14, tragically dies after eating berries on walk at park in Manchester

A 14-year-old boy has tragically died after consuming berries while on a family walk at a park in South Manchester.

Benn Curran-Nicholls collapsed and died after eating the berries while on a walk with his dad, the coroner said.

He was poisoned after ingesting leaves and berries from a yew tree in Fletcher Moss Park, in Didsbury.

The inquest heard how the teenager had severe autism and liked the routine of his daily walks with his father in the park where he enjoyed climbing the yew tree – both were unaware of the risks.

After returning home from a walk on September 18th last year, Benn became unwell and ‘slumped’ before his ‘eyes started to roll around his head’ and was rushed to hospital by emergency ambulance.

He was given ‘several hours of medical attention’ at the Manchester Royal Children’s Hospital, where he tragically died, the inquest heard.

A post-mortem concluded Benn had suffered ‘refractory cardiogenic shock’.

Coroner Andrew Bridgman has now issued a report to stress the dangers of eating yew tree berries.

He also criticised the ‘illogical’ decision not to put out a public health warning following Benn’s death.

In the report, Mr Bridgman wrote: “Benn Curran-Nicholls moved to Didsbury with his family from Australia in June 2022.

“Benn suffered severe autism with intellectual impairment, and daily walks in the local parks became part of his daily routine.

“On the morning of September 18th 2022, Benn and his father went for a walk in Fletcher Moss Park where, among other things, there was a yew tree that Benn liked to climb.

“Benn ate some yew tree berries and also some of the leaves. Benn’s father was not aware of the poisonous nature of the yew tree berries/leaves, and so took no action.

“Interestingly, neither was, in his evidence to me, Manchester City Council’s Neighbourhood Manager for Environmental Health aware that yew trees were poisonous.

“Later that day at about 6pm, Benn suddenly collapsed. He was admitted to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital by emergency ambulance where he died in the early hours of September 19th, 2022.

“Toxicological evidence was that yew tree poisoning in humans was rare, but that a number of cases had been reported.”

Following Benn’s death, discussions took place between the council and the UK Health Security Agency regarding alerting the public to the dangers of yew trees.

An email from UKHSA to the council read: “We agreed at present that there was probably a risk of doing more harm than good from any comms put out, we would be very concerned about unintended consequences from comms messages, e.g. highlighting the risk of harm which may in turn provide a source for people to self-harm as a potential route for suicide.”

The coroner recorded the cause of death as ‘yew tree poisoning’ and described the decision not to issue a warning as ‘illogical’ in his prevention of future deaths report.

In the report, he continued: “Berries and the like might be attractive to young children who would not recognise the dangers and risks, of even illness let alone death. Poisonous nature of the yew tree is not, on the evidence, well known to the public.

“The decision appears to be focused on comms solely about the yew tree and the risks of identifying an additional means of deliberate ingestion for suicide. No consideration was given to highlighting the risks of eating wild berries and/or leaves in more general terms.

“In the circumstance it is my view that the decision not to put out public health messages, either specific to the yew tree or in more general terms, was not properly and fully thought through. It should be re-visited.”

The coroner also asked the council to consider placing signs warning the public about the dangers of yew trees around the park, adding: “There is a risk of a death arising in similar circumstances, and informing the public will clearly reduce the risk of those deaths.

“Perhaps particularly so for a child whose carer would be so informed.”