Council pledge after 2,400 sign Shrewsbury river safety petition
River safety improvements in Shrewsbury have been pledged by councillors as a petition calling for action reached 2,400 signatures.
It comes as a team dedicated to making Shrewsbury a better place revealed one lifebelt a week is vandalised along the river.
Calls for more safety measures near the water's edge came after the body of Daniel Hodgin was found in the river at Cressage on New Year's Eve.
The 20-year-old from Madeley, Telford, went missing after a night out in Shrewsbury and was last seen close to the river in the early hours of Sunday, November 23.
Ben Evans, whose friend 24-year-old Josh Wreford, from Radbrook, drowned in the river in 2010, teamed up with Shrewsbury friends Simon Tildesley and Sharon Stevens to launch online petition Make Our River Safer which so far has more than 2,400 signatures.
Mr Evans urged more people to sign the petition and Shropshire Council said it had undertaken investigations and was looking to make improvements.
Mr Evans said: "We want to get as many signatures as possible. We've already had 2,400 and it just shows how much recognition the petition is getting and the need for something to be done.
"It's getting a lot of support from people other than just in Shrewsbury because Daniel was from Telford so I hope it will spread across the county."
Claire Wild, Shropshire Council's cabinet member responsible for environmental maintenance, said: "We're aware that a petition is soon to be lodged with Shropshire Council and we welcome the opportunity to consider what it contains.
"We understand that people will have some concerns about river safety and continually review what we, along with our partners, are doing to make the river a safer place.
"We have already undertaken some investigations and are looking to make some improvements, which we hope will help to reassure residents and visitors to the town."
But vandals are putting people at risk by attacking one life belt a week, according to Team Shrewsbury – a partnership including Shropshire Council, Shrewsbury Town Council, West Mercia Police, the Safer Shrewsbury Partnership and the Shrewsbury Street Pastors.
Chief Inspector Tom Harding said: "Should anyone damage any item that is provided for public safety such a life belts or street lighting we will deal with these individuals robustly."
