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| Man accused of sculpture deaths | Man accused of sculpture deaths |
| (41 minutes later) | |
| The artist who created an inflatable sculpture that killed two women when it flipped over in a freak gust of wind has been charged with manslaughter. | |
| Maurice Agis, 76, from Bow, London, faces a count of gross negligence manslaughter after his Dreamspace sculpture overturned in County Durham. | |
| He was bailed to appear before Peterlee magistrates on 26 February. | |
| Elizabeth Collings, 68, from Seaham, and Claire Furmedge, 38, from Chester-le-Street, both died in 2006. | |
| Another 13 people were hurt when the artwork lifted into the air at the Riverside Park at Chester-lee-Street on 23 July. | |
| Claire Furmedge and Elizabeth Collings were killed | |
| Mr Agis also faces a charge under health and safety laws. | |
| Liverpool-based promotions company Brouhaha International Ltd and Chester-lee-Street District Council have also been charged with breaching the Health and Safety at Work act, in connection with the incident. | |
| The council's director of development services, Tony Galloway, faces a charge on a separate breach of the act. | |
| They are all due to appear before Peterlee Magistrates' Court on 26 February. | |
| Durham Police said Mr Agis had been charged at Charing Cross police station in London. | |
| "These proceedings follow a lengthy investigation by Durham Constabulary and the Health and Safety Executive," a spokesman said. | |
| "The families of those killed and the people injured have been informed of the developments." |