Work to prevent a repeat of scooter death on Felixstowe prom

Staff from East Suffolk Council are taking action to improve safety on Felixstowe promenade for users of scooters, pushchairs and bikes after 76-year-old John Gray plunged five feet off the edge and on to the beach close to the Spa Pavilion theatre in July 2022.

Following an inquest into his death, Suffolk's senior coroner Nigel Parsley called on the council to take action to prevent future deaths.

READ MORE: Measures for Felixstowe promenade follow death of John Gray

An East Suffolk Council spokesperson said: “As previously highlighted, we regularly review risk assessments for all council-owned and managed land and continually evaluate what further appropriate measures should be put in place to help ensure public safety.

“Work to install additional warning signage at entrances to higher risk areas and to renew existing line hazard markings along the prom, is due to begin within the month.”

Mr Gray suffered multiple rib fractures which led to breathing difficulties and died in Ipswich Hospital a short time afterwards.

John Gray died after his scooter plunged off Felixstowe promenade onto the beach (Image: Submitted) READ MORE: John Gray's scooter plummeted 5ft off Felixstowe promenade

In January, Mr Gray's daughter Maxine White backed the coroner's calls for improved safety measures.

She said: "I just don't want anybody else to get hurt and I know that dad would not want that either.

"There are a lot of elderly people in Felixstowe that use those scooters and there should be something in place to stop it happening again."

Suffolk senior coroner Nigel Parsley called for action to improve safety on Felixstowe promenade (Image: Archant) The council had proposed a series of measures to prevent a repeat, including providing guard rails or other physical features, such as corduroy paving, either along the full length of the promenade edge or at particularly high risk points, such as entrance points or ramps where falls are on to rocks or hard surfaces.

READ MORE: John Gray family calls after Felixstowe promenade death

Mr Gray, who was originally from Leicester, was living in sheltered housing in Gosford Way in Felixstowe at the time of the incident and was making his regular journey to get some breakfast at the Greggs café in the town centre.

He used to run the Forum fish and chip restaurant on the town's seafront, which is now Saltwater fish and chips.