Safety signs at river site coming soon, says council

Ronalds Abele died while swimming at the Embankment in Wellingborough

A councillor has assured the parents of a teenager who drowned in a river that safety signs will be installed in the coming weeks.

Ronalds Abele, 17, drowned at the Embankment area of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire in May.

His parents have since been calling for new safety equipment to be placed around the site to prevent future deaths.

Matt Binley, North Northamptonshire Council’s Conservative executive member for travel and assets, said permanent safety signs should go up in "the next few weeks."

Matt Binley said the project was a priority for the council and that progress was being made

Ronalds had been swimming with friends in the river on 10 May this year when he drowned.

He was airlifted to Northampton General Hospital but pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

Ronalds' father Thomas Okyere said he had been to the Embankment several times and there appeared to be no signs or equipment to keep people safe.

Temporary safety signs went up at the site to coincide with World Drowning Prevention Day last month.

Mr Binley said work on designing and commissioning new permanent signs was "well in hand", adding that "the next step" was to meet the family at the river, and ask them where to place the signs "telling Ronalds' story".