Teenager Loses £900 in School Fire – and Won’t Be Reimbursed
A teenager who lost about £900 worth of belongings in a school fire will not be reimbursed, a council has said.
Dion, 14, had left a bag containing an iPhone, football boots, and Apple AirPods in the temporary building at Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed in Newport, when the blaze broke out in July.
His mother Carley James said it was “nauseating” the school or local authority had not offered to fund replacement items,and has called for them to change thier policy.
Newport City Council said personal items were not covered by its insurance policy, with a spokesperson adding: “Schools are not allowed to make payments in such circumstances.”
Carley JamesA fire at a community sports hall has destroyed equipment belonging to a local football club, leaving a young player heartbroken. The blaze, which occurred at the temporary structure, resulted in the loss of vital gear for Dion, a dedicated footballer.
Dion’s mother, Ms. James, explained that the fire has had a critically important impact on her son. He now has to use old boots for training and matches, as his new pair were lost in the incident. The fire also destroyed his mobile phone, a recent birthday gift from his family.
“He’d only had the phone for three months after receiving it as a present,” Ms.James said. “This upset Dion because I can’t afford to replace the items.”
Ms. James is asking for support to help replace the lost equipment and restore Dion’s confidence. The council has stated the cause of the fire was not suspicious.
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