Woman died after unsafe wall collapsed during storm

A 76-year-old woman died after an unsafe garden wall collapsed on top of her during a storm, a coroner has said.

Janet Harrison was found in her garden in Southampton by her neighbour in February 2022.

She suffered multiple fractures and died six months later from hospital-acquired pneumonia, an inquest heard.

Hampshire assistant coroner Sunyana Sharma said she was concerned that walls on adjoining properties were "built with the same unsafe dimensions" as the one that collapsed.

The neighbour's wall fell down during Storm Eunice on 18 February, the coroner said.

Ms Harrison was found with "life-threatening and catastrophic injuries" at 12:10 GMT, the inquest heard.

She spent six weeks in Southampton General Hospital where she caught pneumonia, the coroner said.

After being readmitted to hospital in April, she died on 31 August.

In a Prevention of Future Deaths Report, the coroner said she had heard evidence that the wall was unsafe.

Ms Sharma wrote that the half-brick wall (a relatively thin structure) "should never have been built to a height of 1.95m (6.4ft)", according to an expert.

She added: "The impact of the storm was worsened by the fact that a large surface area of fencing panel was attached to the wall which meant that it was susceptible to collapsing."

The coroner said she had heard evidence that a number of local walls had been built to the same standard.

She said: "I am therefore concerned that if there were other storms in the UK of similar force to that of Storm Eunice then there is a risk of further walls in the local area collapsing thereby placing others at risk of future deaths."

She sent the report to building control inspectors at Eastleigh Borough Council and Southampton City Council.

The authorities have been approached for comment.

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