Ludlow’s newest town councillor Martin Taylor-Smith is campaigning for life-saving equipment to be installed along the banks of the River Teme, where a man drowned two years ago.
Councillor Taylor-Smith told the Journal: “When I was out doing hustings, I met two people, one who had tried to rescue him and a relative who was upset that after all this time nothing had been done.
“I’m going to see if we can get a grant from the local area committee or do some fundraising around Temeside.
“They tried to use a hosepipe to rescue him because there wasn’t a rope.”
He added: “If I had a wish list, we would get three life preservers, one near the junction with Steventon New Road, one by the old toll house and one by the garage.”
Councillor Taylor-Smith acknowledged there was a risk people might steal the equipment. He said: “We are trying to balance the need so people can be rescued if necessary but to put something in that people won’t nick.”
Tenbury Wells has had problems in recent years with vandals throwing life preservers into the River Teme. Tenbury Town Council provides life-saving equipment along the riverbank by the recreation ground because they own that stretch of land.
Tenbury town clerk Pat Buckley told the Journal: “You do get the odd person taking it out and throwing it in the river. We have put up a sign saying ‘This helps saves lives’ to remind people.
“You just have to hope people will be sensible, it could be their friends who need it one day.”
Councillor Taylor-Smith has been in contact with the Highways Department at Shropshire County Council to try to establish who is legally responsible for the land along Temeside and could be required to provide life preservers.
