Leah Bedford: MP presents river safety petition after death

Leah’s body was recovered from the River Ouse near Terry Avenue on Thursday, September 28, last year.

Last night (Wednesday, October 16), Rachael Maskell presented the petition to parliament which was created by Leah’s aunt Jayne Reynolds.

A coroner was unable to provide a cause of death for the teenager, from Acomb, at an inquest opening last year.

Leah Bedford (Image: Newsquest) The hearing heard that Leah was last seen near Lendal Bridge in the early hours of Sunday, September 20, and was reported missing to police later that day.

“It has been a very long heart-breaking year for us as a family, not knowing what happened to Leah. We were led to believe the last sighting of Leah was near the river, unfortunately we do not know anything else at this stage,” Jayne said.

After Leah’s death, Jayne and other family members walked along the riverbank and saw groups of teenagers drinking alcohol with friends. They also came across people with mental health challenges and others unstable on their feet.

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Jayne started a petition after Leah’s death, calling for CCTV cameras to be installed along riverbanks.

“I have been campaigning for a year to try and have my voice heard regarding the safety of our rivers as so many tragic deaths have occurred so such a little time frame,” she said.

“We will never have Leah back home celebrating her birthdays, Christmas or even growing into a young woman who wanted to start her career in forensic science.

“It's with thanks to Rachael Maskell who has listened to us as a family and helped us with our petition that we may be able to save lives in the near future.”

Jayne and Mandy Shepherdson, another aunt of Leah, previously described their niece to The Press as a “bright, bubbly girl” with lots of friends who was “loved by so many”.

MP backs calls for CCTV cameras along riverbanks in York

Ms Maskell said: “I can’t imagine how heart-breaking it must be for a family to lose a loved one and not know what happened to them.

“They will be forever wondering what happened to Leah and if CCTV cameras had been in place would they known exactly what occurred in the last minutes of her life.

Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central (Image: Supplied) “Whilst Jayne and the family know they cannot bring Leah back, they have channelled their resources into a campaign to prevent other families suffering in this way. 

“I hope that we will see more CCTV cameras along riverbanks in York and also in other cities where there are too many river deaths.

“I was pleased to present the petition to the House of Commons last night and hope lives are saved as a result of this.”