Richardson 'turned down £6 ski helmet'

Staff at the ski resort where Natasha Richardson suffered a fatal head injury have revealed that the actress decided not to rent a £6 helmet that may have saved her life.

The 45-year-old was taking a beginner's ski lesson at Mont Tremblant in Quebec when she sustained a "blunt impact" to her head which led to internal bleeding and death.

A staff member told The Sun: "We are heartbroken that we didn't do more to persuade her to wear one. A helmet would have cost her just ten dollars."

The mother-of-two, who was married to Liam Neeson, was transferred to a New York hospital following Monday's accident and died two days later surrounded by Neeson, her mother Vanessa Redgrave and her sister Joely Richardson.

The tragedy has led to some calling for helmets to be made mandatory in Canada, while one company at the resort has already made the decision for protective headwear to be obligatory from next season. A spokesperson said that the tragedy had "tipped the balance" between restricting people's freedom of choice and keeping customers safe.