A GRIEVING widower is considering suing a council after his wife died after tripping on a drain.

Brian Childs’ wife Lillian was walking down Alexander Crescent, in Durham City, on July 14, 2012, when she tripped on a metal drainage channel running across the pavement, hitting her head as she fell to the floor.

Mrs Childs never fully recovered from her injuries and she died on August 24, 2012, aged 75.

Mr Childs, of Wheatley Hill, east Durham, says the channel should have been protected by a metal cover but it was not.

He has now instructed personal injury solicitor Mark Thompson, of Thompson and Co Solicitors, to investigate the circumstances of his wife’s death.

A letter of claim has been lodged against Durham County Council, which is also investigating the incident.

However, a council spokesman said the authority was unable to comment pending the conclusion of the investigation.

Mr Thompson believes an anonymous Good Samaritan could be key to establishing what happened.

At the time of Mrs Childs’ fall, a nurse who was passing in a car stopped and came to her aid, but did not leave her details.

Mr Thompson is appealing for the nurse to come forward so Mr Childs can thank her and obtain further information about the incident.

He added: “Our client is understandably devastated at the loss of his wife after what seemed at the time to be an innocuous fall.

“We are very keen to get in touch with the Good Samaritan who helped at the scene as she could be the only person who can shed light on what happened and give Mr Childs the closure he needs.”

Anyone with information about Mrs Childs’ fall is asked to call Thompson and Co Solicitors on 0191-565-6290.