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Minute's silence held for girl killed by tree

Christine Sexton
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Family handout Seven-year-old Leonna Ruka who has long dark brown hair in bunches above both ears. She is smiling broadly and has dark brown eyes. She is holding up something in her left hand which can just be glimpsed.Family handout
Leonna Ruka was "too perfect for a world that can be so cruel and unfair", her family said

Civic dignitaries held a minute's silence in memory of a seven-year-old girl killed by a collapsing tree.

Leonna Ruka, from Dagenham in east London, had been visiting Chalkwell Park in Southend-on-Sea with family on 28 June.

Four other children were injured including Leonna's six-year-old cousin, who remains critically ill in hospital.

Speaking at a full meeting of Southend-on-Sea City Council, Labour leader Daniel Cowan said it had been an "incredibly challenging" period.

He paid tribute to emergency crews and members of the public who responded to the tragedy.

"I think all concerned showed the very best of our city in a time of great need and we should be proud of them," Cowan added.

Stuart Woodward/BBC In the foreground is black and yellow tape stretched across . The tree is still partly standing but some branches have fallen off. Its trunk is dark and thick. There are tennis court fences behind it and a series of wooden memorial benches in the foreground.Stuart Woodward/BBC
Inspections of the tree have since taken place in the park

Hundreds of floral tributes and teddy bears have been laid in the park since the incident.

Up to 50 people tried to lift the 350-year-old tree when it trapped five children underneath it, including some from nearby Westcliff Cricket Club.

James Courtenay, leader of the Conservative group, said it had been propped up by supports for decades.

"My and our group's deepest and heartfelt condolences go to Leona's family and friends for the tragic loss on what should have been a fun visit to the park," he told the meeting on Wednesday.

The councillor said he had been "moved by the bravery of bystanders, residents and members of the local cricket club who risked their own safety to lift branches".

He added: "I'm grateful for the public and private reassurances I've received that the council will co-operate fully with Essex Police and the health and safety executive as they investigate exactly how this happened."

Stuart Woodward/BBC Hundreds of flowers and numerous teddy bears placed in the park. They surround a tree, which is behind a small fence. A small crowd of people have gathered at the scene.Stuart Woodward/BBC
Hundreds of flowers have been left at the park in tribute to Leonna

The council had commissioned an independent agricultural inspection of the tree, the meeting heard.

Paying tribute to Leonna, her family said she had "a heart full of love and a mind full of endless ideas"

They added: "Leonna was more than just a child – she was a light in our lives and in the lives of everyone who had the joy of meeting her."

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