Skip to content

Parliament petitioned over teen's river death

BBC Rachael Maskell has a serious expression as she stands by the River Ouse, a wide waterway in central York. She has long blond hair, tied back and wears a pale green jacked and black T-shirt. Behind her, steep grassy banks, topped by green trees, lead down the the river. BBC
Labour MP Rachael Maskell says she hopes lives can be saved

A petition calling for improved river safety has been presented to Parliament following the death of a teenager in York.

The petition, which includes 1,428 signatures, was created by Jayne Reynolds, whose 16-year-old niece Leah Bedford died after entering the River Ouse in September 2023.

Rachael Maskell, the MP for York Central, presented the online and paper petition, which calls for CCTV along river banks in the city centre, to the House of Commons on Wednesday.

Ms Maskell said appeals for better lighting and surveillance "have to be listened to".

Jayne Renolds Leah Bedford sitting at a table. She is smiling and has long, black hair. A silver iPhone can be seen on the brown table.Jayne Renolds
Leah has been described by Ms Reynolds as a "bubbly, headstrong, very intelligent girl"

Leah was last seen near Lendal Bridge just before 04:00 BST on 20 September. Her body was recovered from the river near Terry Avenue on 28 September.

Her family said the police could not say what happened because there was no CCTV in the area.

They have previously called for more safety measures to be installed on the waterway, including CCTV, lighting and fencing.

David Wilson, of the York Rescue Boat, said there had been "54 fatalities in the River Ouse" since the year 2000.

He suggested a range of measures was required, such as "improved education about safety, looking at hotspots, looking at whether we need lighting or some sort of barrier up".

David Wilson stands in front of the wide River Ouse. He wears a dark jacket with York Rescue Boat logos. To his left is white York Rescue van, with a yellow bonnet and red and white pattern down the side. In the background are trees and a bridge.
Mr Wilson believes more can be done to educate people about the dangers of the river

Ms Maskell said: "When we hear that we need better surveillence, better lighting, we have to hear that, because we know so many people have entered the river."

She said the petition would go before a minister and she would wait for their response.

Local and national authorities should consider what could be done to improve safety around rivers, including "making people aware of the dangers of fast-flowing rivers like the River Ouse", she added.

A government spokesperson said a response to the petition would be issued in due course.

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.

More on this story
Related internet links