A TRUST will look at ways to minimise safety risks at a world heritage site where a teenager fell to his death.

More than 200,000 people a year visit the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, where 18-year-old Kristopher McDowell died after falling three years ago.

At Mr McDowell's full inquest hearing in March John Gittins, coroner for North Wales (East and Central) requested safety measures be re-examined at the site as he was concerned the conditions which led to the teenager's death still existed.

The two-day inquest in Ruthin heard Mr McDowell, of Coronation Street, Cefn Mawr, plunged 120 feet when a cast-iron upright gave way after he had gone through a gap in railings alongside the towpath in the early hours of May 31, 2016.

He was walking home with three friends after finishing a shift at the McDonalds restaurant in Chirk and he stepped through a gap onto a narrow parapet after one of his friends had said he was scared of heights.

Mr Gittins expressed concern about whether the 195mm spacing between the railings was too wide with the industry standards being 110mm, that signage was not adequate, and that tests on the railings had also been inadequate.

Julie Sharman, chief operations officer of the Canal and River Trust, has now responded to Mr Gittins' request, stating that the width of the railings "are as they were originally built".

She said: "Given the Aqueduct's extraordinary heritage significance, the Trust deliberately sought to manage the risk of anyone passing between the gaps by non-invasive controls to minimise any impact on the original aqueduct design.

"The Trust considers that the Aqueduct is safe for normal use and that the control regime adequately addresses the risks associated with normal use."

Ms Sharman added that an "investigation has started of the physical options available to address gaps between the uprights working with the relevant partners and bodies", and is due to be completed by September this year.

She stated that before any work can be carried out, it would need the approval of Welsh Government, Cadw and UNESCO. If designs gain "statutory approval", work can be carried out on the site from October 2020.

Addressing the issue of tests on the railings, Ms Sharman said: "We are satisfied that our inspection regime is proportionate and respectable.

"Notwithstanding this, we are not complacent and are very concerned that there should be public confidence in our stewardship of the Aqueduct.

"During the forthcoming principal inspection which will be undertaken this year, the condition of each of the uprights will be inspected and the engagement will be checked again.

"We will compare this result with the 2016 inspection and consider further what the frequency of future checking needs to be. The inspection and the review will be completed by early 2020."