Railings for Bathampton canal where man drowned

Julian Mather died when he fell into the canal

The family of a man who drowned when he fell into a canal after a night out are welcoming extra railing being installed along the towpath.

Julian Mather, 41, was just a few hundred metres away from his family home in Bathampton, Somerset, when he lost his footing in January 2022.

His family say they want to spare other families the tragedy of losing a loved one in a similar way.

The Canal and River Trust said such incidents were rare.

After a two-year campaign by Mr Mather's family for safety measures along the tow path, the trust has said it would be installing barriers by the bridge. It comes ahead of the two year anniversary of Mr Mather's death.

His mother Jan said installing the railings might save lives in the future.

"We wanted the railings all along," she said.

"Julian knew the canal like the back of his hand but we believe he fell in after tripping over a fallen tree branch. If a railing had been there, he might not have fallen in.

"He would have a better chance of survival because the railing might have prevented him falling in.

"We'll never really know what happened but the towpath just needs to be safe."

The Canal and River Trust announced in December 2023 that it would put the railings along the path but no installation date has yet been given.

Mr Mather's mother Jan has been campaigning for solar lights along the canal

Mr Mather's family have also asked for solar lighting in the area. Their campaign, called "Light my way," is hoping to persuade the Trust to install the lights along the stretch where he fell.

In a statement the Canal and River Trust said: "Our thoughts are with Julian's family and friends on the anniversary of his death this month.  "Following an assessment of the area, and in consultation with Julian's family, we're putting in some discreet railings under the bridge.

"Our engineers are working on two options which will provide safer passage for pedestrians and cyclists along this section of the canal, which we are unable to light due to environmental constraints. "The Canal and River Trust continuously makes safety improvements where required, as well as continuing with regular maintenance, education programmes and awareness building around staying safe by water."