Gran dies after being crushed by storm debris

A grandmother was crushed to death by "incomplete" brick cladding that blew off a building in stormy weather, an inquest jury concluded.

Paramedics were struck by falling bricks as they attempted to pull Rochelle Crane from the rubble in Southend-on-Sea on 18 February 2022.

It came amid a red weather warning, as wind speeds in the Essex city reached 90mph (144km/h) during Storm Eunice.

Ms Crane was taken to the Royal London Hospital and died on 22 April 2022, two months after sustaining brain and spinal injuries.

She had been shopping in the city having "dismissed" the danger of high winds, said her daughter, Louise.

Jurors at Essex Coroner's Court said brick slip cladding "detached in its entirety" and blew off a building in Southchurch Road and struck Ms Crane.

They concluded the design of the cladding was "incomplete" and it was not possible to assess its suitability and fitness for purpose.

However, they said it had been used on previous building projects.

Ms Crane died from a "hypoxic brain injury and polytrauma", the jury determined.

The inquest heard written evidence from Colin Moy, a paramedic who attended the scene with a colleague and an apprentice.

Mr Moy said when he arrived, he saw Ms Crane on the pavement "surrounded by bricks, mortar and glass".

Having been struck by falling debris, Mr Moy described there being "imminent danger" and due to a "high risk" of the building being unstable, he decided to drag Ms Crane out of the way.

Jurors reacted with audible shock when played CCTV footage of the incident unfolding.

A statement previously read to the court on Louise Crane's behalf told of the "profound" impact her mother's death had on her.

"My grief is compounded by the ongoing inquiries," Ms Crane said in her statement, adding that she felt "alone in the world".

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