A verdict of accidental death has been recorded on a schoolboy who drowned in Stourport bottom narrow lock on 3rd June 2011. Worcestershire Coroner's Court heard how 12 year old Robert Fidoe was crossing the narrow bridge at the tail of the lock on his bicycle when he toppled over into the water. Unable to swim, he drowned in front of a friend. Anthony Stammers, British Waterways'head of health & safety, said that a life ring had been installed at the lock since the accident, but he thought they should have been there before. He also said he would have expected to see a handrail, and one would now be put in place. However, he said there were signs banning cycling, and the edge of the lock and the side of the bridge's parapet were clearly marked.
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