The dam at Scar House Reservoir, which feeds the underground system at Manchester Hole. Photo: Joe Regan CC-BY-SA-2.0

A local authority was cleared of breaching health and safety laws in a caving incident in which a 14-year-old boy died.

North Yorkshire County Council denied charges brought under the Health and Safety at Work Act following the death of Joe Lister 4½ years ago in an underground expedition in Manchester Hole in Nidderdale. The trip was organised by the council-owned Bewerley Park Outdoor Education Centre near Harrogate.

The teenager, from Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, died when rising water in the cave system trapped the caving party.

Today, a jury acquitted the authority after deliberating for nine hours at Leeds Crown Court.

Joe’s family expressed their disappointment with the outcome but the authority issued a statement saying it was pleased its procedures and practices had been found to reflect current legislation and guidance. It expressed its profound sympathy for the boy’s family.

Eleven students and three adults were in the Manchester Hole system when a surge of water filled a 12m-long section known as The Crawl. Others in the party managed to escape but Joe’s body was found later by cave rescuers.

The system is downstream from Scar House Reservoir, which could cause rapid water level rises when water flow from increased. Defence lawyers argued that the conditions on the day in November 2005 were unprecedented and could not have been foreseen.