Racing scene at crash death site criticised

A decision to allow the filming of a racing scene where a 15-year-old girl died has been described as a "disgusting lapse of taste" by a man who helped the emergency services.

Lexi Catlin was killed after the motorbike she was travelling on was in a crash with two cars on the A355 in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, on 13 March.

Alex Thornton said the sound of "screeching tyres" drew him out of his home on Sunday night, fearing there had been another collision, only to discover a film crew were working on the road where Catlin died.

Buckinghamshire Council has apologised and pledged to review its procedures following the blunder.

Permission for the filming, involving a van and a car racing around a roundabout on Amersham Road by A Mouthful of Petrol Ltd, had been authorised by Buckinghamshire's Film Office, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Thornton said the road was closed for several hours, and that the location manager only became aware of last March's crash after arriving at the scene and seeing the floral tributes.

The following morning, Thornton witnessed the roundabout covered in "black marks of burnt rubber".

"The callous disrespect shown is simply unacceptable," he said.

The Film Office, which is owned and operated by the council, said the fatal crash "was not identified" as part of the assessment process for the filming application.

It "should not have been omitted", they added.

In the aftermath of Catlin's death, her family described her as "kind, caring, funny and outgoing", with a smile that "lit up every room".

Peter Brazier, the council's Conservative cabinet member for culture and leisure, said: "We have apologised directly to [Thornton] and are sorry for the distress caused.

"We are reviewing our processes to strengthen our approach to identifying sensitive local issues and ensuring appropriate consideration and engagement where activity may have a particular impact on residents and communities."

A Mouthful of Petrol Ltd has been contacted for a response.

No further details are known about the production being filmed.

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