Station stairs death 'accidental'

Mrs Enright may have been looking through her purse when she fell

A woman hurrying for a train died after falling down a flight of stairs at Bristol Temple Meads railway station, an inquest has heard.

Karen Enright, 35, from Yeovil, fell headfirst down 19 steps on 30 January.

The mother-of-one may have been looking for her fare, the inquest at Flax Bourton Coroner's Court heard.

A post-mortem examination concluded that she died from head injuries. The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death following a fall.

After the inquest, a spokeswoman for First Great Western said inquiries concluded there was no sign of a trip hazard on the stairs.

No information has come to light to suggest this is anything other than a tragic accident David Emmott British Transport Police

The company, which runs the station, said it had written to Mrs Enright's family expressing sincere condolences at their loss.

Alan Tyghe, a witness and a self-employed railway consultant, said Mrs Enright landed at the bottom of the flight of stairs leading from platform three to the subway.

He said: "I heard a muffled sound and a voice, I turned round to see the casualty falling down the steps... I saw her fly through the air headfirst and land at the bottom of the stairs."

Andrew Knowles, from Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate, told the inquest that witnesses reported seeing Mrs Enright lose her balance halfway down the steps.

He said the stairs were "not in perfect condition with a few chips and discontinuities from wear and tear".

David Emmott, from British Transport Police, said Mrs Enright may have lost her footing while "momentarily distracted" searching through her purse.

He added: "No information has come to light to suggest this is anything other than a tragic accident."