WEST FIFE pupils are being educated about the dangers posed at Prestonhill Quarry near Inverkeithing as part of the immediate safety measures being taken following the latest death last month.

With the summer holidays starting tomorrow (Friday), the police, fire service and Royal Life Saving Society have been going into schools with literature and videos to educate kids and keep them safe in the wake of 18-year-old John McKay’s death on 18th June.

In addition to the prevention scheme, which rolled out this week, police will also be keeping up patrols round the quarry and Fife Council’s legal services will also be tracking down the owners of the site so an enforcement notice can be served.

The quarry has claimed two lives in the last 10 months – Cameron Lancaster, also 18, died in August 2014 carrying out an ‘ice bucket challenge’ – and the emergency services, together with Fife Council and local councillors, met on Friday to discuss steps to prevent further tragedies.

This week, Inverkeithing councillor Alice McGarry told the Press, “The main thing is to get the kids before the holidays, with 17- to 18-year-olds the target group.

“They’re the ones most likely to get into trouble in the quarry and there are also going to be meetings with Fife colleges as there will be a lot of kids who leave at 16.

“We’re going to work out a programme which will be carried into the next term, which the police and fire service had already planned anyway.” She added that there was also a plan to look at improving the fencing around the quarry, “although nobody knows if that will solve the problem”.

Cllr McGarry explained, “It’s not so much kids going in – the problem seems to be organised groups with cars going into the quarry and taking down the fences.

“Some people are just determined to get into the quarry. Breaking down the fences is a criminal offence and there’s very little we can do to prevent it.

“Councillor Gavin Yates will also be talking to sub-aqua clubs not to access the quarry until the situation becomes a bit clearer and to discourage use of the quarry.

“Legal services are tracing the owners – the registered offices of the company say they have had no contact with them and no forwarding address.

“There will be discussions on how to track them down – we need to know who owns it.” Ward councillors were also set to meet yesterday (Wednesday) with area manager Lynn Hoey about having a safety survey carried out by specialists, to be funded out of the area budget.

Cllr McGarry added, “If the health and safety audit identifies issues, then we can serve a notice on the owners and that could end up in prosecution for not complying with the terms of the order under the Environmental Safety Act.

“If the order has not been actually served on the company, then we will need to identify individuals within the company and serve notice on them. Legal services is going to explore that.”