AN elderly woman died from head injuries after falling down stairs at a holiday hotel in Spain. The widower ofMargaret Mur-


Questions after hotel stairs fall


struck on February 7. They had dined that evening


ray has claimed that a handrail on the 22-step marble staircase was inadequate. At an inquest into her death,


the coroner said shewould have taken up the issue if Mrs Mur- ray's accident had happened in this country. MrsMurray (85), and husband Alexander, of Sandling Lane, Pe- nenden Heath, had been in Cadiz for amonth when tragedy


Meet the reptiles


THE Kent Reptile and Am- phibian Group is offering free, guided walks in Bred- hurstWoods and BoxleyWar- ren this weekend (September 10-11). Meet at Hurstwood Road in Bredhurst on Saturday and at Pilgrims’ Way on Lidsing Road, Boxley, on Sunday, both at 10am. Info – 01303 815170.


Garden homes plan


OUTLINE plans have been submitted for two detached homes in a rear garden at The Street, Ulcombe. The three and four-bed-


room houses would be built behind Three Trees, opposite the primary school.


with friends at their hotel. Mrs Murray had a glass of wine with the meal and a cocktail after- wards. ButMrMurray, a retired Army


officer, said he did not think that would have affected his wife as she was used to having wine with dinner. When the couplewere walking


to their room, MrsMurray stum- bled and fell about two-thirds of the way down the stairs, landing on her head. She later died in hospital. Mr Murray provided photographs of the staircase to the coroner. He said they showed awooden cap- ping abutting the wall that "holds about two fingers - not a handrail". He also said therewas an alter- native route back to their room,


outside the hotel, which they had occasionally used in day- time but not in the evening be- cause of the winter weather. Mr Murray is in dispute with


Saga Holidays about whether the handrail was adequate or if he had been told on arrival about the other way back to their room. Coroner Patricia Harding said


she could not rule on liability is- sues but told him: “I'm saddened that, had you been in the UK when Mrs Murray had the acci- dent,Iwouldhavebeenableto report, under Rule 43, measures to prevent further fatalities. "Had this been a death in this country I would have made such a report." She added that it appeared im- possible to take hold of both sides of the handrail and itwas a “matter of semantics” if it .


Nightclub memories follow death


FRIENDS of a young dad who died of cancer organised a fundraising event in his memory. Darren Burley (28), a former pupil of Brunswick House primary and Maplesden Noakes secondary schools, lived offWillington Street before being admitted to the Heart of Kent Hospice, Aylesford. Friend Nathan Jarrett, who organised a fundraising


drum ’n’ bass night at aMaidstone nightclub shortly after Darren was diagnosed with cancer in April, planned a similar event the week after he died last month. Darren leaves his partner Shelley and an eight-year-old daugh- ter and mum Sharon and sister Louise.


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Security is reason


for fence extension GAYLE Pantony has applied to extend a 2m-high close boarded fence at Gidd’s Pond Farm, Bearsted Road,Weavering. The planning statement says:


“The fence is required to pro- vide added security to the prop- erty’s long exposed boundary to Bearsted Road to deter and pre- vent unauthorised access from the public highway. The fence will also, importantly provide safety for the applicant’s young children who play in the gar- den which adjoins the road. “The former low level post


and wire fencing along this sec- tion of the boundary was inef- fective and provided no security. This is borne out of the fact that there was an at- tempted robbery of a garden tractor earlier this year.”


could be termed a handrail. Tulloch Olympic success


COURTNEY Tul- loch, of Thurn- ham-based Pegasus Gymnas- tics Club, carried the British flag at the closing cere- mony of the Euro- pean Youth


Olympic Festival in Turkey, after claiming two gold medals. The 15-year-old won gold in the all-


round and rings categories at the EYOF. His achievements helped Team GB take second place, behind Russia.


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