THE brother of a woman who fell to her death from a metal staircase has welcomed a safety review into its condition.

Officers from County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service and Durham County Council (DCC) last week visited the fire escape to the rear of a property on Newgate Street, in Bishop Auckland.

Hayley Clarke, 29, of Spennymoor, fell from the escape’s stairs on private land in March and died.

Her brother Luke Clarke launched an online petition calling for the council to investigate the staircase last week.

The petition garnered 266 signatures and was later removed from online due the action taken.

The 30-year-old, of Spennymoor, said: “I do not want another family to go through the pain I am going through losing my sister and best friend.

"Me and my sister were in good spirits on that day laughing and joking about and we didn’t judge how high it really was.”

A fire officer has been out and offered appropriate safety advice regarding the fire escape.

Joanne Waller, of DCC head of environment, health and consumer protection, said the authority visited the site as part of ongoing inquiries to establish who was responsible for repair and maintenance issues relating to the building.

She added: "A number of options are currently being considered with a view to ensuring 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.”