Equipment offer after river death

Tony Ballard died as he swam in the River Severn

A charity is offering to donate life-saving equipment for a pub to keep after a boy drowned in the area.

Tony Ballard, 17, from Worcester, died as he swam in the River Severn near the city's racecourse on Monday.

Publican Guy Beech, from the Wheatsheaf Pub, who helped pull three of Tony's friends from the river, has said safety near the site needed to to be improved.

On Thursday he said the Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue (MISAR) charity had been "extremely proactive".

'Initial response'

Mr Beech said MISAR had visited the pub and would like to donate equipment to be kept there from next week.

Dave Walker, from the charity, said: "The initial response was going to be one major life ring on a frame.

"We were discussing it with another organisation that we work with up in the Midlands and they'd decided to come in on the situation as well.

"So we're providing two fixed life rings."

Mr Walker said there would also be some "basic floats" at the pub.

He added: "We've also got to go through the situation of teaching people to use this as well.

"But that will be provided as quickly as we can actually achieve that."

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