Waterfall death hearing continued

Laura McDairmant died after falling onto rocks at Black Loch

A court case arising from the death of a 15-year-old girl during an adventure holiday in southern Scotland has been continued without plea for two weeks.

The Abernethy Trust and two outdoor instructors face charges over the incident which killed Laura McDairmant, of Wetheral, near Carlisle, in 2006.

She died in Dumfries Infirmary after taking part in a pool jumping activity in Galloway Forest Park.

The case at Kirkcudbright Sheriff Court was continued until 23 October.

Ms McDairmant was on an adventure holiday in July 2006 at the Abernethy Trust centre at Barcaple, near Ringford, in Galloway.

One of the activities involved "gorge-jumping" - leaping into a deep pool on the Grey Mare's Tail burns near Black Loch in the Galloway Forest Park.

However, while doing so, she hit protruding rocks and was so badly injured that she died the next day in Dumfries Infirmary.

Instructors Gareth Alcorn, of Coleraine in Northern Ireland, and Richard Farrell, of Barcaple, are charged with failing to recognise the hazards involved and permitting and encouraging the girl to make the jump from a cliff directly above the rocks.

The Inverness-shire based Abernethy Trust, who run the activity centre, are accused of failing to ensure Laura's safety and permitting their employees to use a site for gorge-jumping that was unsafe.