THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE DIED

Priestley College students Gemma Biggin and Stephen Abbott died when the car he was driving plunged into the Bridgewater Canal after he lost control of the vehicle on Stockton Lane in November.

At an inquest held yesterday, Wednesday, coroner Nicholas Rheinberg described the stretch of road in Grappenhall as 'a gross and obvious danger' and an 'accident waiting to happen'.

And now, both families are demanding that immediate action be taken to stop similar tragedies occurring. Michael Biggin, Gemma's father, told the Warrington Guardian that Warrington Borough Council had contributed 'morally, if not legally' to the youngsters' deaths.

Despite police admitting that there were five previous records of accidents at the same spot in the last five years, no measures had been taken to make the road safer.

But Phil Johnson, director of transport at the council, said that information held by the police on the number of casualties did not tally with that of the council, and that he could only find three collisions at the spot dating back to 1999.

Mr Biggin claimed he had found evidence that there had been 16 accidents in the last five years.

Speaking after the inquest, he added: "I demand that the local authority undertakes an urgent and thorough review of all roads around the borough where safety barriers may save lives, but especially that barriers are erected along the banks of the Bridgewater Canal wherever there is a perceived hazard. There can be absolutely no excuse."

Mr Johnson told Cheshire Coroner's Court that there had not been a high enough record of casualties to warrant a barrier, and that it could cause more of a danger.

But Theresa Abbott, Stephen's mother, said: "At least if a barrier had been there Gemma and my son might have been injured but they wouldn't have drowned."

Two other youngsters who were also in the car, Jake Edwards and Anthony Bland, managed to raise the alarm.

They told the court, sitting at Warrington, how Stephen had been driving with care as he approached the bend but appeared to over steer to avoid a hedge causing the vehicle to spin over and plunge into the canal.

Mr Johnson added that road safety measures were taken when there was enough evidence to warrant it and added that such measures were controlled by the local transport plan budget.

In delivering his verdict, Mr Rheinberg said: "Unequivocally, I announce the fact that I believe action should be taken on this particular stretch of road.

"To have a potentially dangerous stretch of a narrow road immediately adjacent to a canal is, it seems to me, almost an accident waiting to happen.

"And just by the grace of God there appears not to have been a fatality previously doesn't seem to me to lessen the actual risks on this particular stretch of road."

Gemma, aged 17, of Georges Crescent, Grappenhall, died from drowning in the water-filled car while Stephen, also 17, of Mill Farm Close, Houghton Green, died the following day of multiple organ failure due to drowning.

Following the accident, the road was closed temporarily and a review is now expected to be held based on the findings of the inquest.

For the full statement from Gemma's family, log on to warringtonguardian.co.uk

THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE DIED