Topshop recalls queue barriers from 400 stores worldwide after Brit schoolboy died when one fell on him
Kaden was with his family at the Oracle Shopping Centre in Reading when he was killed
TOPSHOP queue barriers have been recalled from more than 400 stores worldwide after one fell and crushed 10-year-old schoolbol Kaden Reddick, an inquest has heard.
Kaden was with his family at the Oracle Shopping Centre in Reading, Berks, when a heavy barrier crushed his head causing fatal injuries, last week.
The youngster, described as the "sweetest boy", was taken to hospital but died two hours later.
Today a coroner was told barriers had been removed worldwide at the opening of an inquest into his death.
Speaking at the hearing Detective Inspector Dave Turton said: "Kaden attended the Topshop store at the Oracle in Reading on February 13. He went with his siblings, his mother, and grandmother.
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"At some point while his mum was at the cashpoint going through a transaction, a display described as a queue barrier has fallen over and struck him in the head and this resulted in injuries that were fatal.
"The shop owners have a number of these displays in their stores.
"The Arcadia group which own Topshop and similar chains acted quickly and identified 400 stores with these queue barriers in a short time.
"These stores both here and abroad were closed and these queue barriers were removed."
Police are leading the investigation into Kaden's death alongside the local authority's environmental health department.
Det Insp Turton said the enquiries are expected to take at least three months.
A post-mortem examination was carried out on Friday but cause of death has not yet been established.
A Topshop worker had previously told The Sun that orders had gone out "company wide" to remove the till units, which are used as a queuing system and usually contains items like accessories and sweets.
The employee said of one having toppled: "That shouldn't be possible as they should be properly fixed to the floor."
Tributes flooded in for the tragic youngster.
A statement issued by his family after his death said: ";Kaden was a loving, cheeky, energetic boy whose death will leave a huge empty hole in the lives of everybody that knew him. Our house feels empty without him.
"Kaden loved family holidays, with swimming being his favourite pastime.
"He was always the first one in any pool or the sea. It didn't matter how cold it was, he would jump in, trying to get everyone to join him.
"Kaden was a very creative boy, who loved school. He was going to be helping with making the props for the next school play, and he had set up his bedroom as a classroom to play with his siblings, labelling his room Strawberry class.
"For us the saddest part of Kaden's death is that he will never be able to fulfil his potential.
"He was looking forward to driving his older brothers moped, driving a car, becoming a teacher, or visiting impossibly distant countries to him such as China.
"It is so hard to comprehend he will never do these things."
The youngster's mum and his funeral director dad, who are separated, were comforted by relatives, while flowers were left at the doors to the high street fashion store in Reading, in the aftermath of the tragic accident.
Kaden had been in the Topshop store when he reportedly pulled some sort of barrier down, which came crashing down on his head.
He died an hour later after being rushed to hospital.
Health and safety investigators are investigating whether he pulled the structure over.
An eyewitness said customers were ushered out of the store “crying” following the tragedy in which the youngster lost his life.
Erika Fabiane Silva wrote on Facebook that he was in the shop when the accident happened.
reports that he told friends: “They asked for us to get out of the door and the people that were inside were all crying.”
A Topshop spokesman said at the time of the accident: "The Topshop board together with thousands of staff are deeply saddened by the horrific accident that occurred in our Reading store.
"All our thoughts are very much with the family at this difficult time.
"We are thoroughly investigating all the events surrounding this extremely sad situation."
In 2013, Austen Harrison, four, was killed by a massive mirror falling on him as he shopped with his dad in Hugo Boss.
The tragic tot was in the Bicester Village store's changing room as he dad tried on clothes when the 19 stone mirror toppled onto him.
Hugo Boss was fined £1.2 million following the tragedy.
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