Cullingworth drowning death sparks call for better warning signs

A coroner has urged the removal of vegetation obscuring warning signs at a West Yorkshire beauty spot after a 14-year-old boy drowned at the site.

Mohammad Farhan drowned while swimming at Goit Stock waterfall, Hallas Lane, in Cullingworth, on 30 March.

At an inquest in September, West Yorkshire coroner Martin Fleming concluded his death was accidental.

In a prevention of future deaths report, Mr Fleming has now called for better signage in the area.

Mr Fleming urged the company which owns the site, Harden & Bingley Park Ltd, to consider making the warning signs more visible.

He wrote: "At the inquest I noted from exhibited photographs that the signs prohibiting swimming in the waters under the waterfall are obscured by vegetation and appear to be of some age such that I would ask you to consider reviewing the signs in order to make the dangers of swimming more explicit and noticeable."

A spokesperson for Harden & Bingley Park Ltd confirmed the company had received the coroner's report.

Signs prohibiting swimming had been present at the site at the time of Mohammad Farhan's death, the spokesperson said.

They added: "We will of course liaise with the coroner to hopefully prevent any further tragic incidents, although there are certain constraints, not least public footpaths leading to the area in question and signs being vandalised in the past.

"Our sincere condolences go out to Mohammad's family and friends."

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].