Accrington car park where five people fell to death could re-open

The centre’s owners closed the top deck as a temporary measure while it carried out a safety review following the fifth death there in five years.

But Clayton-le-Moors councillor Tim O’Kane told the health and communities working group the closure could not become permanent because the space will be needed when work to build the town’s new station starts.

He said: “The bus station will be built in Crawshaw Street, and around 86 car parking spaces will be lost.

“It’s the loss of those 86 that have to be spread about the town, so space will be at a premium. They start the work in November so I was just flagging it up, that it will have to be resolved before they seal it off otherwise there will be pandemonium.

“The focus should be why people are driven to desperation. They should be looking into mental health issues like the bedroom tax.”

The top deck of the Arndale Centre, in Union Street, was closed following the death of 17-year-old Lauren Johnson, whose death in June led to renewed calls for improved safety measures.

More than 2,200 people joined a Facebook group calling for the centre to be ‘made safe or knocked down’.

And more than 500 people also signed an online petition addressed to the centre’s owners, titled ‘Stop public access to the roof of the Arndale Centre’.

Management pledged to work with the council and charities to ‘prevent further incidents’.

Bosses at the centre were unavailable for comment yesterday.

David Berman, director of Jesta Capital Corporation, on behalf of the Accrington Arndale, said previously: “We have temporarily closed all access to the top deck of the car park, at least until such time as we have concluded a full review of safety in the car park.

“This review will include not only the top deck but also the lower level openings.

“A full risk assessment by an independent third party is being carried out and we are looking at closing off all the openings.”