Woman dies at activity centre

A woman has died after apparently becoming entangled in a harness at an adventure centre in West Sussex.

Emergency services were called to Blackland Farm in East Grinstead shortly after noon on Wednesday.

The woman was on a 'zip wire', or aerial runway, when she became caught up in her own harness.

Her companions were unable to free her and called West Sussex Fire and Rescue, who brought the woman down.

She was taken to the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, where she was pronounced dead.

Concern for family

The 122-acre site, made up of woodland and fields, is run by Girlguiding UK and has never previously been the scene of a serious incident.

A spokesman for Girlguiding UK said the activity session concerned was being run by an external organisation and no-one directly connected with Girlguiding UK was involved.

The group expressed its concern for the family and colleagues of the dead woman.

Mike Hepworth, of Mid Sussex District Council, said: "We have to work closely with the police and coroner's office to investigate incidents like this.

Legal action

"I'm sure it will become clear over the next couple of days what the cause of the incident is."

He said the authorities would then decide whether legal action was needed.

Sussex Police said they were not treating the incident as suspicious.

A post-mortem examination is expected to take place in the next two days.