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Man died after falling from rotting balcony
The widow of a gas plumber killed when he fell from an unsafe balcony is not demanding further action.
Andrew Rae, 55, plunged 12ft when railings on a balcony where he was working gave way.
An inquest into his death heard the railings at the Community Gateway Association (CGA)-owned flat in St Thomas Street, off Moor Lane were decayed and unsuitable.
He suffered multiple injuries and despite efforts to revive him, died in Royal Preston Hospital just hours later.
The inquest jury ruled there was a flaw in the design of the balcony and said Mr Rae died because of "the decay and degradation of the timber balustrade and its fittings".
A narrative verdict was recorded. Today, the council worker's widow Angela, a teaching assistant, said: "I think it's the right verdict, it will give us some closure.The rest of the family will be happy with the verdict and it will put a line underneath it."
The jury also found that they there was "no evidence that an adequate system was in place to request and resolve maintenance complaints" and there was no preventative maintenance programme for the flats.
Mr Rae, who had been employed by Preston City Council for six years and lived in Burnley, had been called to one of the first floor maisonettes along with a fellow worker, in January 2007, the inquest heard.
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Weather for Preston
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -4 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South
