Parliament petitioned over teen's river death

Labour MP Rachael Maskell says she hopes lives can be saved

A petition calling for improved river safety has been presented to Parliament following the death of a teenager in York.

The petition, which includes 1,428 signatures, was created by Jayne Reynolds, whose 16-year-old niece Leah Bedford died after entering the River Ouse in September 2023.

Rachael Maskell, the MP for York Central, presented the online and paper petition, which calls for CCTV along river banks in the city centre, to the House of Commons on Wednesday.

Ms Maskell said appeals for better lighting and surveillance "have to be listened to".

Leah has been described by Ms Reynolds as a "bubbly, headstrong, very intelligent girl"

Leah was last seen near Lendal Bridge just before 04:00 BST on 20 September. Her body was recovered from the river near Terry Avenue on 28 September.

Her family said the police could not say what happened because there was no CCTV in the area.

They have previously called for more safety measures to be installed on the waterway, including CCTV, lighting and fencing.

David Wilson, of the York Rescue Boat, said there had been "54 fatalities in the River Ouse" since the year 2000.

He suggested a range of measures was required, such as "improved education about safety, looking at hotspots, looking at whether we need lighting or some sort of barrier up".

Mr Wilson believes more can be done to educate people about the dangers of the river

Ms Maskell said: "When we hear that we need better surveillence, better lighting, we have to hear that, because we know so many people have entered the river."

She said the petition would go before a minister and she would wait for their response.

Local and national authorities should consider what could be done to improve safety around rivers, including "making people aware of the dangers of fast-flowing rivers like the River Ouse", she added.

A government spokesperson said a response to the petition would be issued in due course.

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