Widow of father who was crushed to dying by falling tree department requires change in legislation to keep away from repeat tragedy

The grieving widow of a father who was crushed to death by a falling tree branch has called for parks to be legally required to carry out park maintenance to avoid a similar tragedy from occurring again.

Fiona Hall, 56, has been left heartbroken since her husband Chris, 48, was killed by a three-ton bough from a 134ft lime tree while he was walking their dog in The Carrs Park in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in August 2020.

Mr Hall’s death sparked widespread anger after it emerged that the council had failed to act on warnings about the unsafe tree, resulting in them being fined £500,000 last November.

His widow has since set up a sculpture in his memory in the park where he died, raised thousands of pounds for children’s charities and fought tirelessly for reforms to tree safety.

Now, she has launched an official campaign called ‘Chris’ Law’ – a proposed piece of legislation that would force councils across the UK to carry out regular tree maintenance.

It is due to be debated in Parliament on Wednesday, backed by Conservative MP Esther McVey.

Ms Hall said: ‘Currently, there is no mandatory requirement for councils to have a tree strategy for their maintenance.

‘We’re trying to make it so that local authorities in the UK have a blueprint that everyone follows.’

Fiona Hall has been left heartbroken since her husband Chris was killed by the huge tree branch in August 2020

Mr Hall died after a three-ton bough fell from a 134ft lime tree while he was walking their dog

Cheshire East Council, who were fined after it failed to investigate when a large branch had fallen from the same tree a year earlier, says it has implemented a number of safety improvements since Mr Hall was killed.

But Ms Hall said she won’t stop campaigning after almost half a decade of trying to honour her late husband’s legacy.

She added: ‘It has been a fight for justice since day one, because it was clear that this tree was decayed – it was nothing to do with the weather.

‘I couldn’t sit back, it’s given me a focus. The last few years have been eye-opening. This just shouldn’t have happened, not in a million years.’ 

The council’s grounds maintenance firm, Ansa, was also sentenced at Chester Magistrates’ Court for breaches of the Health and Safety At Work Act, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said.

Family described Mr Hall as ‘mischievous, kind and exceptionally funny – a life-force like no other’.

His son Sam, 27, said in a moving tribute: ‘Losing Dad was losing my light and strength. I miss every little piece of him – his laughter, wisdom, and the adventures we shared.’

Nearly 35,000 people have signed Fiona’s petition calling for a change in legislation in the space of just three weeks.

Ms Hall said she won’t stop campaigning after almost half a decade of trying to honour her late husband’s legacy

Ms Hall remembers the day he died as a ‘monumental shock’ as she recalled that they had plans to have dinner with their friends that evening. 

She said: ‘The tree that killed Chris was 130 years old. They need looking after just like buildings do.’

Councillor David Jefferay, chair of Cheshire East’s environment and communities committee, said: ‘My thoughts and those of the council remain with the family and other loved ones of Mr Hall – I also understand the impact this has had on the wider local community.

‘Since this tragic incident, we have implemented a number of improvements in line with our adopted tree management strategy.

‘Our priority is to ensure the safety of everyone who visits and enjoys our green spaces.’