UK Inquiry Tracker

John Liddle

PFD Report All Responded Ref: 2025-0012

Date of Report 9 January 2025

Coroner Georgina Nolan

Coroner Area Newcastle and North Tyneside

Response Deadline ✓ from report 7 March 2025

Road (Highways Safety) related deaths

Judiciary.uk Report PDF

All 1 response received · Deadline: 7 Mar 2025

Sent To

Gateshead Council

Response Status

Responses 1 of 1

56-Day Deadline 7 Mar 2025

All responses received

About PFD responses

Organisations named in PFD reports must respond within 56 days explaining what actions they are taking.

Source: Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Coroner’s Concerns

(1) At the time of the collision the area of the A694 upon which Mr Liddle was cycling was subject to a 40 miles per hour speed limit; (2) The speed limit on this area of road has now (temporarily) been reduced to 30 miles per hour; (3) The road is within a residential area; (4) The road encompasses bends and junctions; (5) There have been a number of other collisions along the stretch of road involving pedal cycles, pedestrians and motor vehicles; and (6) A 40 miles per hour speed limit is unsafe for this stretch of road.

Responses

Gateshead Council

11 Mar 2025

Gateshead Council implemented an experimental traffic regulation order on November 7, 2024, to temporarily reduce the speed limit from 40 mph to 30 mph on the specified A694 road section for up to 18 months. During this period, traffic speeds will be monitored, collisions investigated, and public feedback collected before a final decision is made. AI summary

View full response

Dear Ms Nolan, Prevention of Future Deaths Report – John Liddle I write with reference to the above and your letter of the 28 January 2025, hopefully clarifying some of the points contained and to provide a formal response. Firstly, on behalf of the Council, I would like to offer our sincere condolences to the family of John Liddle. In response to the concerns raised, a decision was made to investigate the effect of a reduction to the speed limit from 40 to 30 mph using an experimental traffic regulation order, pursuant to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. This order stretches approximately 1.5km in length and incorporates the area where the fatal road traffic collision occurred. This Order commenced 7th November 2024 and will be in effect for a period of up to 18 months, during which time traffic speeds will be monitored and any further road traffic collisions will be investigated. The first six months of that period will be used for the public to comment on whether the scheme is working, or not. The Council will then review all the comments and decide how to proceed. If you have any queries about the contents of this letter, please contact me on telephone number or via email

Report Sections

Investigation and Inquest

On 25th May 2023 I commenced an investigation into the death of John Michael Liddle, aged 44. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 10th January 2025. The conclusion of the inquest was Road Traffic Collision. The medical cause of Mr Liddle’s death was 1a) Blunt head injury.

Circumstances of the Death

On the night of 3rd May 2023 John Michael Liddle was riding his pedal cycle southwards along the A694 Lockhaugh Road, Rowlands Gill, Gateshead. His cycle lights were illuminated and he was wearing a yellow cycling jacket. As he moved out towards the centre of the road to take the turn into Sherburn Park Drive he was hit by a minibus travelling behind him who was overtaking. Mr Liddle suffered unsurvivable head injuries and died at the Royal Victoria Infirmary Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne on 21st May 2023.