Kay Wilson · Prevention of Future Deaths report

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Issued 6 Mar 2026•County Durham and Darlington

Published report and response evidence

This report’s concerns and statements found in recipients’ published responses. Statements are included even where no link to an individual concern is recorded. A link shows an evidence connection; it does not assign responsibility.

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Concerns
1

Raised in this report

Recipients
1

Named on the report

Responses found
1

Of 1 recipient

Stated actions
5

Described in responses

Recipients and published responses

Full report text

This is the full text from the original published report.

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Concerns and recipient responses

Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

Concerns raised1

  1. Failure to prevent unrestricted and unguarded public access to a vertical drop
    Part of recurring concern: Failure to prevent public access to closed or restricted hazardous sitesPart of recurring concern: Inadequate physical barriers preventing access to dangerous drops or areas

Stated actions An action is something a recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to a concern raised.5

  1. Durham County Council

    Continue periodic inspections and documented reviews of the area and site-specific risk assessment.

  2. Durham County Council

    Review and update the site-specific risk assessment to reflect the inquest findings.

  3. Durham County Council

    Repair the damaged wall section on the B6277 road west of the river.

  4. Durham County Council

    Inspect the breach in the stone wall and surrounding location for safety defects.

  5. Durham County Council

    Install a steel fence section to close the riverside wall gap and prevent unrestricted access to the drop.

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Failure to prevent unrestricted and unguarded public access to a vertical drop

Wider context from the report

“A breach in the stone wall running north above the riverside from the east side of “County Bridge", Barnard Castle, provides unrestricted and unguarded access from a public area to a vertical drop of approximately 9 metres onto rocks and the River Tees below. ████████ ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Failure to prevent public access to closed or restricted hazardous sites; Inadequate physical barriers preventing access to dangerous drops or areas.

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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

Continue periodic inspections and documented reviews of the area and site-specific risk assessment.

Verbatim wording from the response

“• Periodic inspections and reviews of the area and the previous risk assessment will continue to be undertaken by council officers and documented.”

Source location

2026-0132 - Response from Durham County Council
Page 2 · response
Published 7 May 2026

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

Review and update the site-specific risk assessment to reflect the inquest findings.

Verbatim wording from the response

“• A site-specific risk assessment for the site had been previously undertaken by council officers for this area and followed national guidance and methodology. This previous assessment was reviewed and updated to reflect the findings from the inquest.”

Source location

2026-0132 - Response from Durham County Council
Page 1 · response
Published 7 May 2026

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

Repair the damaged wall section on the B6277 road west of the river.

Verbatim wording from the response

“• During the same visit, officers also inspected a separate section of wall previously identified as damaged and referenced in associated documentation as part of the Regulation 28 report. This wall was identified as being on the B6277 road on the western side of the river. It can be confirmed that this section had now been fully repaired. See photographs of repair attached in Appendix 1.”

Source location

2026-0132 - Response from Durham County Council
Page 1 · response
Published 7 May 2026

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

Inspect the breach in the stone wall and surrounding location for safety defects.

Verbatim wording from the response

“• Officers from the council’s health and safety team attended the location on 25 March 2026 to inspect the breach in the stone wall located to the east of County Bridge, Barnard Castle.”

Source location

2026-0132 - Response from Durham County Council
Page 1 · response
Published 7 May 2026

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 a steel fence section to close the riverside wall gap and prevent unrestricted access to the drop.

Verbatim wording from the response

“• In relation to the breach in the stone wall running north above the riverside from the east side of "County Bridge" it has been agreed that the most appropriate permanent control measure is the installation of a steel fencing section to fully close the gap in the existing stone wall and prevent unrestricted public access to the drop below.”

Source location

2026-0132 - Response from Durham County Council
Page 2 · response
Published 7 May 2026

Open published response
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Information checked against the published report and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026