Ayrshire mums shock after daughter's 'toe cut off' at air show funfair
Millie Taylor, 13, has had to undergo surgery after a barrier crushed her foot and 'exposed bone'.
Last updated 14th Sep 2023
An Ayrshire mum is telling Clyde 1 News of the horror experience her daughter went through at the International Ayr Show.
Ashley Clark’s 13-year-old daughter Millie Taylor has had to undergo surgery after her toe was ‘cut off’ while waiting in the queue for a funfair ride on Saturday.
She was waiting in the queue for the toxic ride when a barrier slammed down on her foot and crushing it.
Mum Ashley claims one of the members of staff at the ride then pulled her foot out of the barrier causing it to rip through her shoes and toe eventually exposing the bone.
The 13-year-old Drongan teen was seen by paramedics at the show and then taken to hospital.
On Sunday doctors were able to shave off the bone and peel the skin over where her pinky toe used to be.
The whole ordeal has put Millie and her mum Ashley through a great deal of distress.
'I felt sick, shocked and panicked'
Ashley Clark told Clyde 1: “Millie was waiting with her cousin for the ride, and when she’s moved to go up the step the barrier has crushed her foot.
“When her foot was trapped the worker forced it out by pulling her leg, and then she’s pushed her out the way on told her to go and was shouting and swearing at her.
“Millie made her way over to me and she nearly passed out, she looked white, and I thought she was maybe just scared.
“She then fell to the ground and that’s when I noticed there was bone hanging out of her converse, all while the ride is still going on like nothing happened.
“I felt sick, shocked, panicked so I ran to get some stewards or police who got the paramedics over, and she was eventually taken to hospital.
An estimated 150,000 people were at Low Green on Saturday, with new organisers of the Ayr Show South Ayrshire Council admitting they’d been overwhelmed with the sheer volume of people.
They’ve said improvements will be made next year after hundreds of complaints over traffic, parking, toilet queues and general over-crowdedness were made.
Now that Millie has been treated, mum Ashley says she’s still in shock and not sure what to do next.
She’s tried getting in touch with South Ayrshire Council and the funfair organisers but had little success.
She added that responsibility needs to be taken by someone.
She said: “I’ve tried to get in touch with South Ayrshire Council to see if I can get the companies name or anything like that. All I have is a man’s name and it’s not much help.
“There’s been a complete lack of compassion by everyone involved. There has been no apology or nothing. I do feel like the council should help me to track them down.
“I’m still just in shock that this has all happened. It’s not what you expect when you go for a nice day out.”
Council: "How people access rides and how they are run is the responsibility of their operators. "
A spokesperson for South Ayrshire Council said: “This was a deeply distressing incident and our thoughts are with the injured child and their family.
“The council checks that fairground operators have the required certification and insurance in place prior to issuing any licence to operate.
“However, how people access rides and how they are run is the responsibility of their operators.
“The Health and Safety Executive would be the authority who would carry out any investigation as required.”