A water sports club is facing a corporate manslaughter charge over the death of an 11-year-old girl killed after falling from an inflatable banana boat.

Mari-Simon Cronje, from Putney Common, was killed during a birthday celebration at the Princes Sporting Club, in Bedfont, Middlesex, on September 11, 2010, when she was hit by the speedboat that was towing the giant inflatable.

A friend swam over to help Mari-Simon, a pupil at Roehampton’s Ibstock Place School, but she fell unconscious and died later in hospital from severe leg injuries.

In 2011 the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) found the boat driver had not seen Mari-Simon because she was wearing a grey helmet which was difficult to see in the water.

Parents who were watching from the shore waved and shouted when they realised the boat was not slowing down, but the driver did not see them, MAIB's report said.

Princes Sporting Club is to be charged with corporate manslaughter plus an additional health and safety offence.

The club's director Frederick Glen Walker, 49, from Cobham, is also charged with offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Elizabeth Joslin, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "I have carefully reviewed all of the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan police and the Hounslow during their investigation into the tragic death of Mari-Simon Cronje.

"I have concluded that there is sufficient evidence to charge the Princes Sporting Club Ltd with both corporate manslaughter and an offence under section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974."

The water sports club and Mr Walker were summonsed to appear at court on Tuesday January 29 and Thursday January 31 respectively.

Both parties will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on February 19 at 10am.