Michael Scaife death: Father campaigns to rename Jubilee River bridge

Michael Scaife was interested in sports and video gaming

A father is campaigning to have a bridge across the Jubilee River in Berkshire named after his son who drowned there.

Michael Scaife, 20, died near the footbridge in Datchet in August.

His father Mark Scaife wants the unnamed bridge at The Myrke to be officially named "Michael's Bridge".

A petition in support of the plan has attracted more than 1,500 signatures in less than a week. Mr Scaife said he was "overwhelmed" by the response.

The bridge over the Jubilee River in Datchet currently has no name, Mark Scaife said

Mr Scaife said the bridge, which is owned by the borough council and partially on land owned by Eton College, was already known by friends and family members as Michael's Bridge.

Getting the bridge officially named would be "the icing on the cake and would be a nice memory", he added.

Last summer, his son jumped into the river with two friends.

He swam to assist one when he got into trouble, but got into difficulty himself. His friends were able to swim to safety.

"Michael shouldn't have been in the water and that's what we are trying to stop," Mr Scaife said.

"There were no signs warning people about the deep water and the undercurrents."

The Environment Agency and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council have since installed buoys and safety signs in the area, Mr Scaife added.

Eton Town Council is due to vote on the proposal on 4 February, after a councillor met with Mr Scaife.

Bob Austen, town clerk, said the council had initially opposed the plan as it could set a precedent for renaming assets.