River wall gap warning after accidental death
GoogleA coroner has raised concerns about a gap in a protective wall following the death of a woman who fell into the river below and drowned.
Senior coroner Jeremy Chipperfield wrote to Durham County Council over the breach in the stone wall in Barnard Castle after the death of Kay Wilson.
The 78-year-old was on the east bank of the River Tees in the town when she passed through a gap in the protective wall and fell 9m (29ft) onto rocks below, before being carried off by the river.
Durham County Council's head of highways Mark Readman said the local authority would carefully consider the concerns raised in the report.
Following an inquest earlier this month in which the County Durham and Darlington coroner concluded Wilson died from accidental death by drowning, he wrote a prevention of future deaths report - a document used by coroners to highlight potentially avoidable deaths.
The report said a breach in the protective stone wall on the east side of the River Tees provided "unrestricted and unguarded access" to a severe drop.
Chipperfield said "action should be taken" to prevent future deaths and believed Durham County Council had the power to take action.
Readman said: "Our thoughts and condolences are with Ms Wilson's family.
"We have received the coroner's report and will respond following careful consideration of the concerns raised."
