- Target:
- Haringey Council
- Region:
- United Kingdom
Since being built in 1900, the Hornsey Lane Bridge over the A1 (Archway Road) has had an unfortunate reputation throughout the UK as a suicide spot. Indeed, it is often called 'Suicide Bridge', and it has been reported that there have been ongoing deaths from jumping here over the years. Indeed, at the end of 2010 three men jumped to their deaths in as many weeks, leaving grieving families and friends.
There are several solutions to this problem, and we have been calling for:
1. A free 'SOS' phone to the Samaritans to be reinstalled and maintained on the bridge.
2. Permanent signs to be erected on the bridge regarding sources of help, including alerting people to the free-phone.
3. A net, as designed and tested by engineering company Teutonic Global, to be fixed under the bridge. This would catch anyone who jumped, making it impossible to die from jumping at this spot.
Haringey Council have said that they will not be taking any action despite the death toll mounting. We believe that this is unacceptable, and that the cost of implementing these measures (the net will cost approximately £95,000), is far outweighed by the cost of the road closure, police time, coroner's inquest and report, and ongoing counselling for families and witnesses each time a death occurs at this notorious spot.
We call on Haringey Council to coordinate the above solutions in order to finally end the deaths of desperate people at the Hornsey Lane Bridge.
'We, the undersigned, wish to express our regret about the number of deaths by suicide from the Hornsey Lane Bridge, N6. This causes much trauma for friends and families of the victims, as well as being traumatising for witnesses of these deaths. We believe that the authorities responsible should take immediate action to prevent further deaths at this spot, and call on them to implement the following solutions:
1. A free 'SOS' phone to the Samaritans should be reinstalled and maintained on the bridge.
2. Permanent signs should be erected on the bridge regarding sources of help, including alerting people to the free-phone.
3. A net, as designed and tested by engineering company Teutonic Global, should be fixed under the bridge. This would catch anyone who jumped, making it impossible to die from jumping at this spot.'
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The Anti-suicide measures at the Hornsey Lane Bridge, N6 petition to Haringey Council was written by Sarah Cope and is in the category Health at GoPetition.