A fine of nearly £120,000 has been levied against a go-kart company following an accident in which a schoolgirl was strangled by her headscarf.

Ruwaida Adan, aged 15, died in hospital after the accident at Capital Karts in Barking, London, UK, in 2021. Her hijab was caught in the go-kart mechanism and wound itself around a drive axle.

It was said in Romford Magistrates Court that the company had failed to complete pre-safety checks on the day. An investigation found that none of the karts had undergone pre-operational checks and the kart used by Ruwaida was missing a guard that should have covered the rotating rear axle gear.

Capital Karts Trading Limited of Rippleside Commercial Estate, Barking, operating as Capital Karts, was ordered to pay a fine of £90,000, costs of £29,021.18 and a victim surcharge of £190, totalling £119,211.18. The company had admitted the offence.

Gary Jones, operational director for enforcement, regulatory and community safety at Barking and Dagenham Council said: “This is a heartbreaking story, and my thoughts continue to go out to the family of Ruwaida. I hope they can now have some kind of closure.

“It’s clear that not enough was done to prevent this tragic accident and I welcome the result of this case. Health and safety management has to be real and demonstrable. The quality of written manuals and procedures is irrelevant without proper systems to ensure that the implementation and monitoring of measures to control risks.

“I hope this sends a strong message to similar businesses on how important it is that they implement measures to make sure that they have in place proper systems to ensure that something like this never happens again.”

Amina Mohamed, mother of Ruwaida, speaking on behalf of the family, said: “In the wake of the tragic loss of our beloved Ruwaida, we are relieved to finally see Capital Karts held accountable for what happened on 6 August 2021. We express our heartfelt gratitude to the presiding judge, and to Barking and Dagenham Council for bringing this prosecution.

“Ruwaida was a beacon of kindness, humour, and unwavering support. She had the most beautiful smile and was the sweetest soul. She was only 15 years old and had her whole life ahead of her. Ruwaida had so many plans and wishes for the future that will now never happen. Her absence leaves an irreplaceable void in our lives."

Barking and Dagenham Council said Capital KartsBarking closed in June 2022 and that Capital Karts is now located at Canary Wharf, although it is operated by Capital Karts London Limited, another company within the same group.