Harbour bike accident not Bristol City Council's fault

The family of a cyclist who drowned in Bristol's harbourside have lost a High Court bid for £2m in damages.

Father-of-two Sean Phillips, 40, died in 2013 after losing his balance while cycling to work along Princes Wharf.

His partner Hayley Liddle, 47, and their two teenage sons alleged that Mr Phillips' death "would not have occurred" if Bristol City Council had put adequate safety measures in place.

But the High Court found a "package of signs" were adequate to alert cyclists.

Judge Mark Gargan QC ruled that the council was not liable for Mr Phillips' death.

He said: "Any cyclist going along that route would have realised that there was a risk of falling into the dock if they cycled near to the harbour edge".

Mr Phillips had been cycling to work as part of his preparation for a 200-mile charity bike ride to Amsterdam.

The judge said Mr Phillips "sustained a head injury in the accident", which was "probably" because he hit his head on a docked ship as he fell into the water, and which limited "his ability to respond and save himself".

Judge Gargan found, on the balance of probabilities, that riding over metal tracks - used for the harbour train - had caused the bike to behave "in a different and unusual manner" after Mr Phillips lost control.

Vincent Williams, counsel for Ms Liddle, previously told the court the wharf "presented an unusual combination of hazards", including "slippery metalwork" and the "unguarded edge" of the harbour before a steep drop to water.

He argued that "if a combination of measures had been adopted" including discouraging cyclists, the accident would not have happened.

But the judge ruled that Mr Phillips "would have been aware of the risk of a fall caused by the rails, even without the notices that have been around it".