FIRE safety and council officers are investigating the safety of a staircase from which a woman fell to her death.
Officers from County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service and Durham County Council (DCC) visited the rear of the property on Newgate Street, in Bishop Auckland, this week.
Hayley Clarke, 29, of Spennymoor, fell from the metal staircase in March and died.
A fire service spokesperson confirmed an officer offered appropriate safety advice regarding the fire escape.
Joanne Waller, DCC’s head of environment, health and consumer protection, said the authority was aware of concerns about its safety.
She said: “We have visited the site with our fire and rescue colleagues as part of ongoing enquiries to establish who is responsible for repair and maintenance issues relating to this building. A number of options are currently being considered with a view to ensuring that fire safety measures at the site are satisfactory for the occupants, and that any risks presented by the current state of the fire escape are addressed as soon as possible.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here