Teen's mother calls for taller barriers after death

The mother of a teenager who fell from a multi-storey car park has said planned safety barriers must be high enough to properly protect people.

Tom Combeer, 17, died after falling from a car park in Guildford in the early hours of 8 March 2025.

Coroner Susan Ridge later warned there were insufficient measures in place to prevent falls and suicides, and raised concerns about public access, CCTV coverage and barrier heights.

Guildford Borough Council has said it aims to install edge protection in all of its multi-storey car parks by February 2027.

Tom's mother, Liz Combeer, is backing a campaign for a legal minimum barrier height of 270cm (8ft 10in), compared with the council's proposed minimum of 110cm (3ft 7in).

She said: "It would mean that anyone, in the middle of the night, would not have the opportunity to do what Tom did.

"If a full barrier would be in the way, they would have time for their mental state to change."

An inquest into Tom's death heard how he had messaged his family's WhatsApp group to say he loved them minutes before the incident.

Liz and Andy Combeer have since supported the Multi-Storey Car Parks Bill, which aims to increase the legal height.

The bill, known as Gabe's Law, is named after 15-year-old Gabriel Santer, who died after falling from the rooftop of a Liverpool car park.

Guildford Borough Council said it planned to appoint contractors in December 2026 before carrying out the work in the new year.

The authority said interim fencing would be installed at relevant locations in its multi-storey car parks by the end of 2026.

Vanessa King, the council's lead on parking, said: "The safety and wellbeing of everyone who uses our multi-storey car parks is extremely important to us, and we remain committed to taking proactive steps to improve safety and support for those who may be vulnerable."

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it recognised the seriousness of the concerns raised by the coroner.

The department said the issues would be considered as part of a forthcoming review into protection measures in and around buildings.

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