New painted warnings have been unveiled on Burnham-On-Sea’s jetty this week as part of a raft of changes to boost safety following a tragedy last summer.
Sedgemoor District Council is advising walkers not to use the lower half of the jetty and also to beware of the risk of falling from edges.
It comes eight months after four year-old Dylan Cecil died in a fall from the structure last summer.
One warning reads ‘No Pedestrian Access’ and is half way down the slipway while the other states ‘Beware Falls From Edges’ and is near the top.
“The new warnings are intended to boost public awareness and increase safety,” the council’s resort manager Graham Newing told Burnham-On-Sea.com.
“Hopefully this will deter walkers from using the lower half of the jetty. We are not banning people from the jetty but giving them a warning. Audible warnings will also be used if needed using our tannoy system.”
The council introduced a new audible warning system at the top of the jetty in February, along with extra safety signs, and RNLI lifeguards are being introduced on Berrow and Burnham beaches this summer.
Dylan Cecil drowned on August 19th last year, sparking a huge search operation by the town’s marine rescue services. His body was found washed up four days later. An inquest in February recorded an accidental verdict.
