Recipient

East Suffolk Council

First report 19 Jan 2024•Latest report 19 Jan 2024

Recipient record

Reports, concerns and published responses

Local government · English district council. This page brings together reports naming this recipient and response statements clearly connected to concerns raised in those reports.

Reports: 1
Published responses: 100%
Concerns addressed: 1
Stated actions: 10

Reports over time

Reports naming this recipient by issue year.

Evidence profile

Report topics

Share of this recipient’s reports compared with all other recipients.

100%published responses found

10stated actions described

Topic comparisons are not available in the current evidence snapshot.

Concerns and recipient responses

Statements from East Suffolk Council linked to the concerns in each report. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

19 Jan2024
Suffolk
Concerns raised1
1. Failure to protect mobility scooter users from falls at unbarriered promenade edges
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response 7
1. Action
  Investigate the effectiveness and practicality of seasonal or more frequent releveling of beach sand and shingle.
  Stated planned
2. Action
  Complete new and updated risk assessments for Felixstowe Promenade, including consideration of risks to mobility scooter users.
  Stated completed
3. Action
  Monitor beach levels at promenade road entrances and ramps for 12 months to inform further safety measures.
  Stated planned
1. Action
  Renew existing hazard line markings along the promenade.
  Stated planned
2. Action
  Install signage at locations where beach levels fluctuate and create a fall risk.
  Stated planned
3. Action
  Commission a full disability access audit of the promenade and surrounding area from a Centre for Accessible Environments-accredited assessor.
  Stated planned
4. Action
  Continue monitoring the structural integrity of existing barriers and maintain them.
  Stated completed
Respondent positions 2
1. Position
  Mobility scooter leasing companies, medical professionals, families and individuals should identify and address risks of falling asleep while using mobility scooters.
  Redirects responsibility
1. Position
  Preventing mobility scooter users from falling asleep is largely outside the Council’s control, limiting further responsive safety work.
  Unable to act
AI-generated summary

John Thomas GRAY · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

John Thomas Gray died at Ipswich Hospital on 13 July 2022 after falling from the promenade at Felixstowe beach while asleep on his mobility scooter. He suffered multiple rib fractures leading to respiratory failure, and the inquest concluded that his death was accidental. The principal concern was that, where there was no barrier, existing signage and markings would not warn a person asleep on a mobility scooter about the risk of falling, potentially leading to future loss of life, particularly where the drop was unusually high.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to East Suffolk Council; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Failure to protect mobility scooter users from falls at unbarriered promenade edges
Wider context from the report
“Evidence was also heard from a mobility scooter supplier and engineer, who explained that falling asleep on a mobility scooter was not uncommon, and happened more frequently than the general public might think. The supplier explained that this often led to accidents, leading to damage to the mobility scooters, which required repair. I am therefore concerned that falls from the promenade onto the beach, in areas where there is no barrier, would occur again in similar circumstances, as the current signage and markings provide no warning to an individual asleep on their mobility scooter. If this were to occur (as in this case) in an area where the height of drop from the edge of the promenade to the sand was greater than normally expected, I am concerned this would lead to future loss of life. ”
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Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Investigate the effectiveness and practicality of seasonal or more frequent releveling of beach sand and shingle.

Verbatim wording from the response
“• Investigate the effectiveness and practicality of seasonal (or more frequent releveling of sand and shingle).”

Source location
Response from East Suffolk Council
Page 2 · response
Published 25 January 2024
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Complete new and updated risk assessments for Felixstowe Promenade, including consideration of risks to mobility scooter users.

Verbatim wording from the response
“In light of the incident, and prior to the coroner’s conclusion being published, East Suffolk Council reviewed its risk assessments to ensure risks relating to all users, including those with mobility scooters, were considered. The result of those risk assessments forms the basis of the response below.”

Source location
Response from East Suffolk Council
Page 1 · response
Published 25 January 2024
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Monitor beach levels at promenade road entrances and ramps for 12 months to inform further safety measures.

Verbatim wording from the response
“• Where required install guardrails (possibly removable) or other physical measures, such as corduroy paving, along full length of promenade edge or at particular higher risk points, such as entrance points/ramps off the road and locations where falls are onto rocks or hard surfaces (all subject to 12 months monitoring of beach levels and full disability Access Audit).”

Source location
Response from East Suffolk Council
Page 2 · response
Published 25 January 2024
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Renew existing hazard line markings along the promenade.

Verbatim wording from the response
“• Renew existing hazard line markings”

Source location
Response from East Suffolk Council
Page 2 · response
Published 25 January 2024
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Install signage at locations where beach levels fluctuate and create a fall risk.

Verbatim wording from the response
“• Install signage where there is a risk of fluctuating beach levels.”

Source location
Response from East Suffolk Council
Page 2 · response
Published 25 January 2024
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Commission a full disability access audit of the promenade and surrounding area from a Centre for Accessible Environments-accredited assessor.

Verbatim wording from the response
“• Commission a full disability Access Audit of the promenade and its environs by a Centre for Accessible Environments (CAE) accredited assessor.”

Source location
Response from East Suffolk Council
Page 2 · response
Published 25 January 2024
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Continue monitoring the structural integrity of existing barriers and maintain them.

Verbatim wording from the response
“• Continue to monitor the structural integrity of the existing barriers and to maintain them.”

Source location
Response from East Suffolk Council
Page 2 · response
Published 25 January 2024
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Mobility scooter leasing companies, medical professionals, families and individuals should identify and address risks of falling asleep while using mobility scooters.

Verbatim wording from the response
“We would add that there have been no similar accidents that we are aware of on any land within East Suffolk Council’s ownership. Therefore, the mitigations that we consider need to be proportionate to the risk presented. The Council’s view is that this is largely outside of our control. We would urge mobility scooter leasing companies to monitor distribution in cases such as this where an individual has a history of falling asleep due to medication and encourage medical professionals, family members and individuals themselves to recognise the risk that falling asleep on a mobility scooter presents in any circumstances and where this is identified, consider appropriate actions.”

Source location
Response from East Suffolk Council
Page 2 · response
Published 25 January 2024
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Preventing mobility scooter users from falling asleep is largely outside the Council’s control, limiting further responsive safety work.

Verbatim wording from the response
“We would add that there have been no similar accidents that we are aware of on any land within East Suffolk Council’s ownership. Therefore, the mitigations that we consider need to be proportionate to the risk presented. The Council’s view is that this is largely outside of our control. We would urge mobility scooter leasing companies to monitor distribution in cases such as this where an individual has a history of falling asleep due to medication and encourage medical professionals, family members and individuals themselves to recognise the risk that falling asleep on a mobility scooter presents in any circumstances and where this is identified, consider appropriate actions.”

Source location
Response from East Suffolk Council
Page 2 · response
Published 25 January 2024
Open published response

Information checked against published PFD reports and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026

Reports, concerns and published responses

Reports over time

Concerns raised1

Failure to protect mobility scooter users from falls at unbarriered promenade edges

Actions described in response An action is something this recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.7

Respondent positions A position is what this recipient says about the concern when it does not describe a specific action.2

Actions described in response 7

Respondent positions 2