Coroner Urges Hackney Council to Act After Death

Sarah McGreevy, a 37-year-old fashion designer, died after falling from her sixth-floor balcony in Hackney, east London, while attempting to clear a blocked drainpipe. The inquest revealed that McGreevy climbed onto a wooden box to access the pipe, which had previously been inadequately repaired, leading to her accidental fall. Residents in the council-owned block had regularly resorted to clearing blocked pipes themselves, particularly after heavy rainfall, due to ongoing guttering issues. The coroner, Sarah Bourke, has urged Hackney Council, the freeholder, to take immediate action to prevent future incidents, highlighting the risk posed by such practices. The council has been given until January 1st to respond to the report demanding remedial works to the guttering. There was no indication of suicidal intent or third-party involvement in McGreevy's death.