Mother of East Sussex boy killed by falling scaffold plank receives national road safety award

A mother who lost her 11-year-old son after he was struck by a falling scaffold plank in East Sussex from an unsecured vehicle load has received a national award for her tireless campaigning to improve road safety.

Maria Dennis and Sussex Police officer PC Barry Freeman were recognised for their outstanding contribution to road safety at a joint UK Road Offender Education and National Police Chiefs' Council awards ceremony on 14 October.

The pair have worked together to improve safety standards across the commercial vehicle industry through Operation Rule, a campaign focusing on insecure loads, overloaded vehicles and drivers exceeding permitted working hours.

The initiative was inspired by the tragic death of Maria's son Harry, who was killed in Hooe, East Sussex, in 2022 when an unsecured scaffold plank fell from a moving vehicle and struck him.

Determined to prevent another family experiencing the same heartbreak, Maria joined forces with PC Freeman, from Sussex Police's Commercial Vehicle Unit, to raise awareness of the dangers posed by poorly secured loads.

The campaign has since gained support from police forces across the country, with officers carrying out roadside checks and working alongside businesses to improve safety standards.

Speaking after receiving her award, Maria said: "I was so unbelievably proud to be stood up on that stage alongside PC Barry Freeman collecting our award.

"The support I have received from Barry and his CVU team, along with other CVU and roads policing units nationwide since May 2024 has been phenomenal!"

She said their shared commitment to road safety had helped drive improvements within the industry.

"I want drivers and businesses to know their actions can snatch away lives, innocent lives like Harry's. The more we can share Harry's voice up and down the country, the more we can have open and honest conversations, the safer we can make our roads."

Figures from Operation Rule's annual national days of action suggest improvements in compliance among the commercial vehicles stopped by officers.

In September 2024, police stopped 131 vehicles across the UK, with 73.6 per cent requiring intervention.

That figure fell to 59.2 per cent of 120 vehicles inspected in September 2025, before dropping further to 46.3 per cent of 136 vehicles stopped during September 2026.

Although the figures show a reduction in the proportion of vehicles requiring intervention, they also highlight that nearly half of those checked during the latest operation still required police action.

PC Freeman said receiving national recognition was a great honour, but stressed that preventing further tragedies remained the campaign's primary objective.

"Over the past three years, I have had the absolute privilege of working alongside Maria Dennis, whose 11-year-old son tragically lost his life in an incident involving a loose scaffold board.

"No parent should ever have to experience the loss of a child, and I have the utmost respect for her strength and determination to keep fighting to help prevent other families from experiencing a similar tragedy."

He praised Maria for turning her devastating personal loss into a campaign that has reached commercial vehicle operators across the UK.

PC Freeman also thanked colleagues in commercial vehicle and roads policing units nationwide for supporting Operation Rule through roadside enforcement, awareness campaigns and engagement with the transport industry.

He said the national days of action provide valuable information about where police should focus future road safety efforts.

Paying tribute to Maria, he added: "I would also like to express my sincere thanks to Maria whose courage and determination has been such an important part of this journey. I am sure Harry would be so proud of his mum."

The campaign continues to encourage commercial vehicle drivers and businesses to take responsibility for securing loads correctly, avoiding overloading and following regulations designed to protect all road users.

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