An independent report by a health and safety consultant placed the final blame on Birmingham City Council's choice of fencing. The usual solid fencing was deemed unsafe in the high winds and so was replaced by see-through temporary fencing that morning. Despite this, the report concluded that pre-planning for the event was "satisfactory". It was believed that members of the public could see spaces in the crowds appearing through the see-through fence and decided to climb over, resulting in the fence collapsing and causing the subsequent surge and injuries.
