A grandfather whose three grandchildren have attended Club Coconut every holiday for the last two years has come to the defence of owner Tim McKittrick.

This follows an incident at the private summer camp on Tuesday in which a 12-year-old boy camp attendee was struck by a car in Middle Road.

While the boy was not seriously injured, the mother of a five-year-old who fell off his bicycle over Easter while attending Camp Coconut called saying that she felt it was time someone spoke out about the camp and its lack of safety.

Tina Rego said she had never given permission for her young son to be riding his bicycle on public roads and was under the impression the children only rode their bicycles on the church property.

She said during the fall, her son?s bicycle helmet split apart in three places and he was unable to eat for a week following injuries to his jaw.

But grandfather Richard Powell responded to the article in Friday?s newspaper saying that he thought it was strange that Mrs. Rego had waited so long to complain about the camp which operates from the Baptist Church in Devonshire.

He said it was unfair of Mrs. Rego to say that she had no idea that Mr. McKittrick took the children bicycle riding as a detailed schedule was handed to parents every week.

Mr. Powell was quick to add that the children never rode on public roads, only along the Railway Trail.

He said that if parents did not want their children participating in particular events, other arrangements were made for them. These schedules included the bicycle rides, movies, swimming and bowling.

Mr. Powell said his three grandchildren, aged nine, eight and six, loved Camp Coconut and looked forward to attending every year. ?I was not there on Tuesday, but I assume that the 12-year-old boy was doing what some of the older children do ... ride their bicycles down the hill and around the church when it?s time to go home.?

He said he assumed the boy lost control of his bike and drove out into traffic because the hill is quite steep.

?During the day there are barriers up at the bottom preventing children from leaving the church premises, but when it?s time to go home the barriers are removed,? he said.

Mr. Powell said children are told to push their bicycles down the hill and around the church to where their parents would be waiting, but the older children had decided it was ?quicker and more fun? to ride down the hill instead. ?My granddaughter asked me once if she could do that and I said no, because I thought it was too dangerous. But I can tell you ... all the kids want to ride down that hill,? he said.