'Protruding' pavement water grid 'won't be altered' after gran's tragic death following fall

Council bosses have issued an update after the tragic case of a retired primary school teacher who died 18 months after she tripped on a raised pavement water grid. The Manchester Evening News understands, however, there are no current plans to lower the grid's height despite calls from Liz Taylor's family.

Grandmother-of-three Mrs Taylor, who was 68, died in May this year 18 months after she stumbled over the water main stop cover as she walked with her husband, Arthur, on Craiglands in Balderstone, Rochdale, near their home. Married for 46 years, they were on their daily walk during the coronavirus lockdown at the time in October, 2020.

Mrs Taylor, who taught at Deeplish Primary School in Rochdale before she retired, went home but fell ill and was rushed to hospital later the same night. She had emergency brain surgery at Salford Royal Hospital the following day - and her family were told she might not survive.

She did, but never fully recovered, and sadly passed away in hospital after being admitted from a nursing home on May 4 this year. Her daughter, Helen Wild, 38, spoke out over the grid's height after a coroner at an inquest found a link between her mother's death and the fall.

At an inquest held at Rochdale coroners' court on August 2, area coroner Catherine McKenna recorded a conclusion that Mrs Taylor, who lived on nearby Hurst Meadow, 'died from complications which arose following an injury sustained in a fall', saying she 'sustained a traumatic subdural haematoma when she fell whilst walking near her home'.

The family, in a statement to the coroners' court ahead of the inquest, said she tripped over a water main stop cover 'protruding' from the floor.

Mrs Wild told how she contacted the council after the