Alasdair Penny
17 Mar 2015 · Coroner Michael Burgess · West Sussex
The coroner's concerns
1. suicide at bridge
“This Bridge has been the site of 2 suicides in 2011 and 2014; | am unaware if there have been any other successful suicides at this location before then, but if so, not in the very recent past”
2. easily climbable railing
“In each of the 2 cases the deceased jumped from the bridge on to the road below, a distance of 10-11 metres. The 2 footpaths that bound the carriageway each have a metal railing and the height of the railing is such that they can be quite easily mounted.”
3. insufficient signage
“There is a series of discrete notices on the mesh infill to the railings, ENIRE details, | understand, of the Samaritans”
4. lack of physical barrier
“understand that | do not know whether it is possible/feasible to provide extra/or some other form of protection in order to make it more difficult for the bridge to be used as a suicide site. However”
Responses
2015-0106-Response-by-Sussex-Police.pdf ↗· Sussex Police
Stated action · 20 May 2015
“The NJAG group was able to implement 6 Samaritans signs on the bridge which are still currently in place and the Street Pastors continue to patrol the bridge, as do the local police team”
2015-0106-Response-by-West-Sussex-County-Council.pdf ↗· West Sussex County Council