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Prevention plans for Avon Gorge suicides
Thorn bushes and higher fencing could be used to discourage suicide attempts along the Avon Gorge.
The recommendations have been included in a report to the Downs Committee which says just under half of all suicides in Bristol occur in areas close to the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
The council says it plans to increase the height of the chain fence near the Observatory and the Sea Walls.
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It will also look into suggestions made by the director of Samaritans that thorn bushes should be planted along the cliff edges which could act as an “effective deterrent”.
New warning signs could also be installed.
Two high-profile suicides have drawn national attention to the area in the last six months.
Charlotte Bevan, who went missing from the maternity ward of the BRI in December, was found dead at the bottom of the gorge two days later with her newborn baby.
And in May, the body of Bristol poppy seller Olive Cooke was found in the gorge after an apparent suicide.
A report said just under half of the estimated 15 suicides which take place in Bristol each year are connected with the area.
The Downs Committee revealed the latest steps in response to a letter from a member of the public. “I myself have been there on more than one occasion when there have been people standing there in distress,” Alice Ottley wrote. “And I feel that if there were more help and precautions, the risk would be less.”
The council plans to increase the height of existing fences where necessary to 110cm, repair the stone wall by the toilets on Circular Road and look into planting thorn bushes at a cost of £2,225.
The Downs Committee will meet to discuss the recommendations on July 6.