A CORONER has called for safety measures to be re-examined at a world-famous tourist attraction where a teenager died.

More than 200,000 people a year visit the 200-year-old Pontcysyllte aqueduct near Wrexham but John Gittins, coroner for North Wales East and Central, said he was concerned that the conditions which led to the death of 18-year-old Kristopher McDowell still existed.

A two-day inquest in Ruthin heard Mr McDowell, of Coronation Street in Cefn Mawr, plunged 120 feet to his death 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.

The teenager 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.

An employee of the Canal and River Trust, which is responsible for the aqueduct, had carried out a monthly inspection of the railings three weeks earlier when no issues were identified, and the inquest in Ruthin heard that a more thorough annual inspection had taken place in July, 2015.

The iconic structure built by Thomas Telford undergoes a "principle inspection" every 20 years and the next one will take place later this year.

William Day, a consultant civil engineer engaged by the Trust to examine the structure and inspection procedures, told the inquest that the systems employed were more rigorous than many and that the inspections were adequate.

He explained that the bottom of the upright appeared to have disengaged first when Mr McDowell pulled himself up on it and then the top came away. A "nib" helping to secure the upright had fractured.

Andrew Marginson, an engineer asked by the coroner to produce an independent report, agreed that the Trust's systems were acceptable but he voiced concern about the size of the gaps between the uprights.

Signs alongside the aqueduct warn visitors to keep dogs on leads and for parents to hold their children's hands, but Mr Marginson said: "My concern would be about someone with a young child, perhaps in a crowded situation."

Both engineers agreed that steps could be taken to reduce the risk, such as erecting mesh or wires between the uprights, but Mr Day said that could affect the structure, for instance in high winds, and would also require consent as it was a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

They said that wires might even encourage people to climb over, and Mr Marginson commented: "If somebody wants to do something like that,they will do it."

Sally Boddy, the Trust's regional engineer, said she was satisfied with the monthly and annual inspections and told the inquest that whenever anything which affected public safety was identified it was rectified.

"I feel that if people follow the instructions there is no risk at all during normal use," she said.

After the jury returned a conclusion of misadventure,the coroner said he intended issuing a Regulation 28 report to the Trust because he remained concerned about the size of the gaps between the uprights and about the adequacy of the method of inspection which had not identified the faulty upright.

He said he wanted to assure the public that the structure was perfectly safe to visit and use normally but he concurred with the McDowell family barrister Helen Pooley that it had been proved that the risk still existed.

After the hearing Julie Sahramn, the Trust's chief operating officer, said they were deeply saddened by Mr McDowell's death.

She said they took safety very seriously and pointed out that both experts had concluded that the inspection and maintenance regimes were effective.

"Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is one of the waterway's most cherished and unique heritage structures and we remain committed to ensuring that this scheduled monument is safe for the hundreds of thousands of people who visit each year," she said.

"At the end of the inquest the coroner wished to emphasise that the Aqueduct is safe for normal use.

"We will be reviewing the coroner's findings in details and determining how to respond to his recommendations."