Inquest told how elderly tourist fell down stairs

Margery Rogers (93) was visiting Santa Cruz with her daughter Stella Briggs at the time of her death on March 10, an inquest heard.

The widow, of Aldwick Gardens, Bognor Regis, had gone to a cafe with her daughter before going inside to use the toilet.

To get to the facility she had to go down a flight of around 12 steps and it was while doing so that she fell.

Coroner's officer Christopher Clinch told the inquest at Chichester County Court that Mrs Rogers had gone from a brightly-lit area into darkness and was not able to see where she was going.

An ambulance rushed to the cafe and took Mrs Rogers to hospital on a spinal board.

She was conscious and said she had lost the feeling in her legs.

Following scans Mrs Rogers was transferred to another hospital where tests revealed she had fractured her neck and would be paralysed from the neck downwards. Unforunately she later died.

Assistant Deputy Coroner for West Sussex Martin Milward recorded a verdict of accidental death.

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