Woman killed by tree after leaning out train window

AN overhanging tree branch killed a young woman after she stuck her head out of the window of a highspeed train, an inquest concluded.

- ROD MINCHIN

Bethan Roper, 28, suffered fatal head injuries on the Great Western Railway train as it travelled at around 75mph.

She was returning home to South Wales on December 1, 2018 after a day of Christmas shopping with pals in Bath.

The GWR London Paddington to Exeter service was using carriages with droplight windows that were fitted with outside handles to allow passengers to exit at the platform.

Investigators told the hearing a yellow warning label that read, “Caution: do not lean out of window when train is moving”, was not a sufficient deterrent.