COUNCIL bosses say they "deeply regret" an incident which saw a dangerous wall collapse upon a six-year-old girl.

The girl was left brain-damaged as a result of the incident.

Today, Basildon Council was fined £133,000 for breaching health and safety regulations which led to the fall.

A council spokesman said: “The council deeply regrets the incident but is pleased the judge recognised its efforts in taking immediate action to considerably reduce the likelihood of such an incident occurring again.

“The judge said it is clear that since the incident the council has taken immediate steps to put in a system that is now suitably robust.

“He also noted the council’s cooperation in such a complex case and guilty plea at the first available opportunity.

“Since the incident, which occurred at a property not owned by the council but adjacent to a council property, the council has taken numerous steps to increase checks and tighten its own reporting processes.

"The council has reminded all residents, including those who own their own homes or rent from the council and other landlords, how to check the safety of their walls and to report any concerns.”