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A council has gone on trial accused of breaching health and safety laws after a boy drowned on a school trip in North Yorkshire.Joe Lister, 14, died when flood water swept through Manchester Hole Cave, in the Yorkshire Dales, in November 2005.
He was one of 11 pupils from Tadcaster Grammar School on a school trip to Bewerley Park Outdoor Education Centre.
North Yorkshire County Council denies the charges, which have been brought by the Health and Safety Executive.
Exit flooded
The council, which owns and operates Bewerley Park, faces charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974). The case is being heard at Leeds Crown Court.
An inquest heard how pupils were forced to try to swim to safety after water levels rose, flooding an exit route.
It is alleged the authority failed to ensure the safety of its employees, including the teacher from Tadcaster Grammar School who accompanied the group.
The charges also allege a failure to ensure the safety of persons not in the council's employment, namely the pupils on the trip, including Joe, whose family live in Steeton, near Tadcaster.This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.