A national park authority has issued a statement about safety, a week after a ten-year-old Darlington schoolgirl was killed in a mudslide.

Leah Harrison, 10, a pupil at Mount Pleasant Primary School, was on a school trip in the North York Moors National Park near Carlton Bank on May 22 when the mudslide struck amid torrential rain.

Emergency services tried for hours to rescue Leah, who played for Darlington Youth FC and had dreams of being a Lioness when she grew up.

Darlington and Stockton Times:

The North York Moors National Park Authority has now issued a statement in response to the tragedy, following questions from the D&S Times about safety in the area.

Joel Brookfield, Director of Recreation and Wellbeing, said: "Staff at the North York Moors National Park Authority were hugely saddened to hear of the tragic incident at Carlton Bank and our thoughts are with Leah’s family and friends.

"We can confirm that the incident took place on an area of land which is Open Access, rather than on a Right of Way. This means that walkers are free to explore the space without sticking to marked paths or trails; the majority of moorland across the National Park, along with many areas of woodland, fall under this category.

"Even on Rights of Way that are inspected regularly, there is no such thing as zero risk. The Cleveland Way National Trail is a prime example of this, as despite being actively managed to be as safe as it can be, its 109 miles covers remote expanses, steep gradients and dynamic coastal cliffs. Rangers and others work to counter risks that are reasonably foreseeable, but they cannot eliminate them completely.

Darlington and Stockton Times: Floral tributes to Leah Harrison have been left at the entrance to Mount Pleasant Primary School

"We would like to reassure schools and parents that National Parks are safe and important places for outdoor learning. Many thousands of visits take place each year, allowing young people to engage with nature, build confidence and explore topics of great importance to the world today.

"Organisers are always recommended to look for the LOtC Quality Badge when choosing providers, demonstrating a high level of risk management and educational provision."

Tributes have flooded in for young Leah with parents and friends leaving florwers outside the school.

On Monday, families including Leah’s schoolfriends gathered at the playpark near Cocker Beck in Darlington at 4pm on Monday (May 27) to release balloons.