CLAPHAM landowner Dr John Farrer has been cleared of blame by a High Court judge following a civil action for damages by the parents of a Blackpool scout who fell to his death down a pot hole at Gaping Gill.

Dr Farrer, of Ingleborough Estate, was exonerated by the judge, John Appleton, who ruled liability rested with the Scout Association. He said the scouts had gone to Gaping Gill with no proper equipment, supervision had been "woefully inadequate" and the scout leaders had shown "woeful ignorance".

Eleven-year-old Lee Craddock fell 365 feet (half the height of Blackpool Tower) down the pot near Clapham on an organised scout trip in July 1995.

He had joined 19 other scouts on the trip to the well-known beauty spot together with three leaders and two helpers - one of whom was his father, Ian.

Lee, a member of the 37th Blackpool Scouts, crawled into a pitch black cave called Jib tunnel - 12 feet from Gaping Gill, the deepest cave in England.

His parents, Pat and Ian Craddock, of Northfield Avenue, North Shore brought the case against the Scout Association and also claimed Dr Farrer should have put adequate signs up to warn of the danger.

But while the judge upheld the case against the Scout Association, he decided Dr Farrer was not to blame as in the car park there was a warning about dangerous pot holes.

In a statement Ingleborough Estate told the Herald: "Dr Farrer wishes to express his sincere regret and sadness at the death of young Lee Craddock.

"Dr Farrer agrees with the judgement of the court but in the tragic circumstances of this case derives no satisfaction or pleasure from his exoneration."

During the hearing scout leader, David Taylor, told the court he had been near the cave's opening and had seen the boys first leave the cave and then group to go back inside.

Mr Taylor said he thought it was safe and that if there was a danger there would be a grill in place. He said he thought it would be blocked off.

When asked would he have stopped the boys from going in? He said: "I believe if faced with the same situation again I would probably make the same judgement."

Scout leader, Wayne Clare, said he saw two scouts going towards the cave but was not concerned as David Taylor and Ian Craddock were nearby. But he said he was unaware that the children were exploring the cave and added if he had been aware he would have stopped them.

When asked whether he had told the adult helpers or the scouts to avoid the cave, Clare said: "I cannot recollect - no."

Both leaders admitted to the court they were unaware of Scouting Association rules that expeditions should not be in groups of more than seven.

Making an emotional statement outside the High Court in Preston, where the judgement was given on Friday, Mrs Craddock said: "Lee was our youngest son, we love and miss him everyday of our lives and we will never get over the tragedy of losing him.

"We are pleased the judge accepted that liability fell on the Scout Association. However we want to make it clear we do have sympathy for the other scout leaders who we know have been deeply affected by this."

Mrs Craddock added she was disappointed the judge did not accept steps should have been taken to avoid the danger of Jib tunnel.

She said: "One of the main reasons we took up the case is because a warning sign erected had been taken down."

The court heard that Mr Craddock, who was with Lee and his older son Ian, then 12, at the time of the tragic accident was not to blame in any way.

Mr Nicholas Braslarsky QC, representing the Scout Association, appealed the decision in court but it was refused. He said the Scouts were considering launching an appeal at a later stage.

Judge Appleton blamed leader Martin Bailey, who died earlier this year, and was responsible for the scout trip.

He said the scouts had gone to Gaping Gill with no proper equipment, supervision had been "woefully inadequate" and the leader had shown "woeful ignorance".

Judge Appleton said: "It showed ignorance and indifference on the part of Martin Bailey, my feeling is he lost control when he sat down at Gaping Gill. As he bathed in the sun with Mr Clare, Lee was taken on a fateful venture into Jib tunnel. It was Martin Bailey's ultimate responsibility to ensure Lee's safety and he failed."

The court heard the scouts had behaved in an inappropriate manner as independent witnesses saw Martin Bailey with a camcorder filming a scout waving his arms about over the edge of Gaping Gill.

John Banks, a teacher, who was also at Gaping Gill that day, said his wife wanted to shout but feared it may have provoked a fall.

Judge Appleton expressed his sympathy for the other scout leaders on the trip, David Taylor and Wayne Clare, and said it was their "misfortune" to take part in this venture.

He said: "They were under a false sense of security as were Mr Craddock and his son that Mr Bailey knew what he was doing."

Chairman of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority Steve Macare said that issues surrounding owners' liability were always difficult in law but that the Government was looking at the issue in its Rights of Way Bill. He hoped that legislation would make responsibilities clearer.

The amount of damages is to be decided at a later date.