Boy’s accident in Colchester cost Britvic £25million (From Gazette)
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Boy’s accident in Colchester cost Britvic £25million
4:40pm Friday 13th July 2012 in News By Andrea Collitt
Alexander Farries, pictured by the Sun
A NEW cap design on a children’s drink bottle made little Alexander Farries choke – and cost Britvic millions.
Shocked mum Shelley Farries said Alexander, six, began gasping for air as he drank a Robinsons Fruit Shoot.
Shelley, husband Paul and boys Matthew, three, and ten-week-old Christian, were in the restaurant at Colchester’s Leisure World when the drama unfolded.
A piece of the spill-proof Magicap had come off and lodged in Alexander’s throat.
Child minder Shelley, who is first-aid trained, said: “We had taken the boys swimming for a birthday treat and afterwards we went upstairs to the restaurant.
“We bought some Fruit Shoots to go with the food. Alexander and Matthew were drinking them, then Alexander started choking.
“I realised what was going on and slapped him on the back and out it popped.”
Shelley, 35, from Elmstead Market, said she e-mailed the Chelmsford-based drinks company a picture of the bottle and cap she had taken on her mobile phone.
Two days later, the company sent a courier to collect the bottle and told Shelley it had been faulty.
Shelley said: “By Sunday night they agreed to take the product out of the shops.
“On the Monday they decided to take their other lines off the shelves as a precaution.”
Britvic has given the family a theme park annual day pass and drinks vouchers.
The drinks firm, which owns the Robinsons brand, has recalled millions of Fruit Shoot and Fruit Shoot Hydro bottles.
At the time it refused to blame anything other than a packaging safety issue.
The damage will reportedly wipe up to £25million from profits this year and the next financial year.
A Britvic spokesman said: “The safety of our customers is our number one priority and we are grateful to Mrs Farries for bringing her situation to our attention.
“We have recalled Fruit Shoot bottles featuring the new design cap and are working hard to get Fruit Shoot back on the shelves.
“We apologise to her and all our customers for the inconvenience caused.”
Comments(12)
ShallowRemarks
says...
5:38pm Fri 13 Jul 12
Im_Like_HELLO wrote:That's what I was wondering, as per usual we have to work out half the story ourselves. We may as well make up our own news events.
I take it these caps were actually designed to be put into children's mouths?
Feisty CBC
says...
8:27pm Fri 13 Jul 12
Boris
says...
11:47pm Fri 13 Jul 12
This episode has not cost Britvic £25 million. The company has actually protected its reputation, which is worth far more than that. Its share price rose to-day. So nobody need feel sorry for Britvic.
Mr Honest
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1:39am Sat 14 Jul 12
Feisty CBC
says...
11:09am Sat 14 Jul 12
Mr Honest wrote:What do ya mean, nothing sensible to say? Munky chops :P
Feisty, do one. You are annoying.Never anything sensible to say. Which idiot would pay 43p to read the gazette. It takes 3 minutes to read front to back.
davehillinformant
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6:30pm Sat 14 Jul 12
Boris
says...
9:26pm Sat 14 Jul 12
The whole purpose of this website is to encourage people to buy the printed paper. if you want to kill off local papers, Mr Honest, carry on in your own way. The rest of us will buy the paper, maybe not every day but whenever there is an important story in it.
Many towns our size no longer have a daily paper. So let's try and support the Gazette, which may not be perfect but at least it gives us some idea about what is going on in our community.
Feisty CBC
says...
10:24pm Sat 14 Jul 12
common sense or not
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2:12pm Mon 16 Jul 12
wellnow
says...
2:06pm Thu 19 Jul 12
jut1972
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7:21pm Thu 19 Jul 12
Im_Like_HELLO says...
5:04pm Fri 13 Jul 12