The mother of a teenager who died after being swept out to sea off Bournemouth has criticised the local council for setting up an art installation that frames the tragedy.
Vanessa Abbess, the mother of Joe Abbess, 17, said the installation on Bournemouth beach called Portal, which was to be a focal point for the town’s Arts by the Sea festival, was disrespectful to her son and 12-year-old Sunnah Khan, who also died.
She said: “As a family, we were shocked and astounded to see reports of the disrespectful installation. It frames the area of sea where our son, Joe, and Sunnah Khan got into difficulties. In addition, it is sited on the area of beach where emergency services cared for all casualties and the tragic circumstances unfolded.”
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council has apologised and said the piece would be taken down.
Graham Farrant, the chief executive of the council, said: “We are deeply sorry for such a crass mistake which clearly should never have happened. We have extended an unreserved apology to the families for causing further upset at what is undoubtedly already a distressing time.
“Work is under way to close down the installation and we will review our internal processes to understand how this happened and what changes need to be made to avoid this from happening again.”
Portal, made by the multidisciplinary design studio Lucid Creates, was being displayed for the first time. The festival described the 15-metre tall structure as “a monument and a beacon of light and hope” that had been “created to evoke awe and wonder”.
Joe, from Southampton, and Sunnah, from Buckinghamshire, died after being pulled from the sea on 31 May. At the opening of their inquests in June, the court heard there was a suggestion that a rip current had led to the pair drowning.
Local people also criticised the installation. Nicola Gale said: “It’s lit up like a fairground attraction. How many levels of inappropriateness does anyone need to understand how upsetting this is for the families?”
Katie Johnson said: “So disrespectful that two children lost their lives in the exact place that this has been installed. Maybe they should have spent the money on better water safety signs and more lifeguards.”
