'Make canal safe after my sister fell in and died'

The family of a woman who died after falling into a canal are calling for safety barriers to be installed around the water, to prevent further tragedies.

Mum-of-five Jody Brown, 38, was pulled from the canal basin off Wolverhampton Street in Walsall in the early hours of 3 May.

Her brother Paul Clarke, 42, who is calling for barriers, said he had seen children falling in a section which "looks like grass on top of the water".

A spokesperson for the Canal and River Trust (C&RT), which looks after the waterways, said it was distressed by her death and had contacted Walsall Council, as decisions about fencing were not in their jurisdiction.

There have been previous warnings that weed on the water can be mistaken for grass or asphalt.

Clarke's petition calling for barriers or safety fencing has attracted about 200 signatures.

Clarke, from Walsall, described his sister as "bubbly and outgoing".

He told the BBC her death had left the family "absolutely heartbroken" and they wanted to raise awareness of the danger surrounding a square section of the canal in the town centre.

"The canal is quite dangerous... I live right by it myself," he said. "There's no safety barriers at all. There's just a little bit where the bar is, but it's still all open.

"We just want better safety measures."

Clarke said there were many pubs and restaurants surrounding the waterfront and he had previously seen other people falling in the water.

"I've seen children falling in," he added.

"And there's big cars that actually drive on to this big square bit where it looks like grass on top of the water. There's been other deaths in the past there as well."

West Midlands Police confirmed an unnamed woman was pulled from the canal on 3 May and the death was not being treated as suspicious.

"Our thoughts remain with her loved ones at this terrible time," the force previously said in a statement.

Multiple people, including a man and his son, have fallen into the water in the past.

In 2019, the Canal and River Trust said volunteers cleared 60 tonnes of weed and safety signs were put up following safety calls.

A buoy was installed in 2021 in an attempt to warn people of the danger.

But a woman who was visiting from London the following year raised the alarm over the weed. She said she "just stepped in" while walking to a nearby restaurant and was left traumatised.

"The canal is a vital part of our community, and making it safer should be a top priority," Clarke wrote.

The 42-year-old said his sister Jody had been in the area at a hotel at the time, and there was CCTV of her walking along the canal's edge before she fell.

"She's accidentally walking off, gone off block, fell in," Clarke explained.

"She left the hotel... she left there and then she walked in.

"I don't think she could swim."

He told the BBC his sister was a "lovely" person who had loved a "laugh and a joke".

"She was bubbly, very outgoing, had a lot of friends," he said.

"I'd like to see some safety barriers put in place to stop it from happening to other families, having to get through the heartache."

A spokesperson for the Canal and River Trust said: "We are distressed by this tragic accident and offer our sincere condolences to Jody's family and friends."

An internal inquiry would be carried out and and the charity would support the coroner, they added.

"Our charity does not own the land around the basin, so decisions about fencing are not directly within our gift. However, we are committed to working in partnership and have already contacted the local council," they said.

Safety signs were improved around the basin in recent years and a throw-line installed, as well as similar lines being given to nearby businesses.

Although fencing might appear a straightforward solution, in practice it was more complex as safe access to and from the water would need to be maintained for boaters and those needing to enter the water, if rescues were needed, the spokesperson said.

"This will be reviewed as part of our investigation," they went on.

Walsall Council has been approached for a response.

Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.