'My wonderful brother died when a tree fell on his van - now I'm backing this new campaign'
The sister of a much-loved man who died in a freak accident has spoken out, a year on from his tragic death.
Paul Fiddler, 41, died when a 200-year-old tree fell onto his Citroen van as he travelled to work along the A59 Longton Bypass on December 7, 2024, during Storm Darragh.
The tree, which was on an area of grassland beside the road, covered both lanes of the Preston-bound carriageway when it collapsed.
“When my mum rang to tell me the news, I just couldn’t believe it”, said Sally Elliott, Paul’s sister. “I was screaming, obviously, just thinking ‘no way, that can’t be true, there’s no way this has happened’.
“He was taken from us in an instant, doing what he always did – going to work, looking after everyone, just being Paul.”
A Health and Safety (HSE) investigation into what happened is still underway, and while it is not yet possible to know if Paul’s death could have been prevented, his family has thrown their support behind a new campaign called Chris’s Law.
Chris’s Law
Chris’s Law is a campaign launched in September by Fiona Hall, widow of Chris Hall, a father-of-one who died in August 2020 while walking his cocker spaniel on a path in The Carrs, a woodland area in Wilmslow. The 48-year-old suffered fatal injuries when a three-ton limb of a diseased lyme tree fell on him.
Just 11 months before, in September 2019, another large limb of the same unstable tree had fallen. But apart from a visual inspection by Ansa - a contractor owned by Cheshire East Council - no real action had been taken, despite “significant” structural issues.
Chris’s Law aims to make it mandatory for councils UK-wide to regularly inspect, assess, and maintain trees in public spaces and parks. The petition has already attracted more than 36,000 signatures, has been taken up by MP Esther McVey, and has been debated in Parliament. Now Fiona and Sally are asking the people of Lancashire to back the cause.
Fiona said: “Introducing a law takes time, but there is more urgency for this than is being adopted by the Government. And the more signatures we get, the more weight we add to our cause.
“I can’t sit back and watch this happen to other families”.
Three Lancashire deaths in nine months
Since Paul’s death, there have been two other tree-related deaths in Lancashire. In August 2025, 32-year-old Madia Kauser died in Witton Country Park, Blackburn, after a large tree branch fell on her as she pushed her daughter to safety. In September 2025, a rough sleeper was killed when the tree he was sleeping under in Blackpool’s Revoe Park collapsed.
“We’re hearing more and more stories as the campaign gathers momentum”, said Fiona.
She added: “At the moment, tree inspections are all very haphazard. Local authorties have a duty of care, but because they’re not mandated to do it, some do, and some don’t. But the technology is there now to make it cheap and easy to inspect trees. It doesn’t need to be - and shouldn’t be - reactive.
“And let’s be clear, we’re not just asking to pull trees down, we would want planting to take place where a diseased tree has been removed.”
About Paul Fiddler
Paul was just 41 when he died, travelling from Burscough to Freckleton as he did every day, for work in the family business - Hughes and Fiddler and Freckleton, and Fred Hughes in Preston.
He had only been married since February 2024 to Jayne, described as “the absolute love of his life”, by sister Sally. She said: “They had lived together since 2021. He adored her and her daughter Emily (now 18) and was so proud to be a stepdad. He used to call her “my Jayne” and anyone who knew him could see how happy he was – genuinely the happiest we had ever known him. They had just started their life together, bought their home in Burscough, and were so settled. That’s one of the cruellest parts of all of this.
“Before that, Paul was brought up in Freckleton by our parents, Greg and Pauline, with me and our younger brother Mark. The three of us were incredibly close. Paul was a huge part of both our lives and always will be. Freckleton was always home to him, no matter where he lived.”
“People went because of Paul”
Sally said his job and place in the family business was incredibly important to Paul and he “gave absolutely everything to it”. She said: “He helped grow the business, modernised things, brought in social media, and built real relationships with customers. People didn’t just go there to buy something; they went because of Paul. He genuinely made a difference to people’s lives through his work and was incredibly proud of the family name and what it stood for.
“Paul also worked closely with his cousin James, who was not just family but one of his very best friends. They were inseparable – at work and outside of it. James is absolutely broken without him. Losing Paul has left a huge hole in his life, and that alone speaks volumes about the depth of their relationship.”
Sally said Paul adored his nieces and nephew – Katie, Sophie, Bobby, and Hallie - and was “the fun uncle, the dependable uncle, the one they all ran to”. She said: “He took such pride in them and loved being a big part of their lives. They all worshipped him, and he loved them fiercely.”
Sport
Sport was Paul’s other great love. He was naturally gifted at football, cricket, sprinting, and was even a black belt in taekwondo. He played for Kirkham Juniors, won the Hogan Cup at Bloomfield Road, and later went on to America on a football scholarship to the University of Rio Grande, where he was part of the only team in the university’s history to win the 2003 cup. He was even invited to trial for the David Beckham Academy while he was out there.
When he came back to the UK, he eventually moved into coaching at Lytham Town with his best friend Chris Best. Sally said: “They were a brilliant partnership – “bad cop, bad cop” as they used to joke – but the lads absolutely loved him. He was respected, trusted and genuinely adored. He cared so much about the players, not just as footballers but as people.
“Paul had a big personality, a great sense of humour, and could light up a room without trying. He could come across as having a hard exterior at times, but in reality, he was one of the kindest, most loyal people you could meet. He would do anything for anyone. Family, friends, colleagues, players, customers – he never did anything by halves. He gave 100 per cent to everything.
Outpouring of love
“Since he died, the outpouring of love has been overwhelming. We genuinely had no idea just how many lives he had touched until after his passing – messages, cards and stories have come in from people we didn’t even know, all saying the same thing about what Paul meant to them. He truly was a friend to so many people, and that has been one of the most humbling and heartbreaking realisations of all.”
More than 1,000 people attended his funeral, the village flag in Freckleton was lowered to half-mast for the first time ever, the Lytham windmill was lit up in blue and white, and Preston North End did a tribute in the 41st minute. Paul’s parents even received a letter directly from the House of Commons saying they wished they’d had the chance to meet him and that the world needs more people like Paul.
“That says everything about the kind of man he was”, said Sally.
In April the inaugural Paul Fiddler Memorial Trophy was held at Bamber Bridge FC– Fidds Select vs North West Community Stars. Organised by people who loved him and want to honour him properly, the family are planning on hosting the event again, this time in March and in Freckleton.
South Ribble Borough Council
The tree that fell on Paul’s van was on South Ribble Borough Council land. Councillor Matthew Tomlinson, Leader of South Ribble Borough Council said: “The passing of Mr Fiddler was a tragedy, and our thoughts continue to be with his loved ones. An investigation is currently being undertaken into this incident, and we are fully supporting this process.
“As a council we regularly undertake tree inspections on a risk basis and consider if trees which are near roads or in places where pedestrians can access are safe. Trees deemed unsafe can be cut back or felled dependant on the risk found. We are committed to ensuring the safety of our residents and will continue our work to risk assess trees.”