A church warden has described being haunted by the image of his wife falling to her death at Truro Cathedral

Paul Stuart, from Truro, lost wife Jan two years ago when she fell down the steps outside the cathedral. He has now launched a civil case against the diocese.

Despite the cathedral making some improvement works to the steps, as suggested by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Paul claims they have not gone far enough.

The grandfather says he is now tormented by the fear that someone else will lose their life on the staircase.

Former civil servant and retail assistant Jan died after falling down the steps, known locally as the Chapterhouse Stairs, in June 2018.

Jan, who had been married to Paul for 22 years, had been at the cathedral with him to see a friend become a canon when the incident happened.

Paul said: “After the ceremony, a group of us were stood at the rear of the building, at the top of the Chapterhouse Steps, chatting.

Falmouth Packet:

The Chapterhouse Steps at Truro Cathedral

“Jan was on my left when all of a sudden I heard a rustle and saw her going backwards head first down the brick steps.

"She hit her head on every step and stopped half way down. She was unconscious and there was blood coming out of her nose and mouth and from the back of her head.”

Jan, a 66-year-old grandmother-of-five, was rushed to hospital but two days later doctors informed Paul, also 66, there was nothing more they could do and that her life support machine would be switched off.

“I couldn’t believe what was happening,” said Paul, who has now contacted legal firm Slater and Gordon to launch a civil case against the cathedral - although the cathedral said that, to date, it had not received any notification of a claim.

“It was a second marriage for Jan and I and we were soulmates. We had eight grandchildren between us who we loved spending time with and we had a great life together. Jan had recently decided to retire from a part time job at Sainsbury’s and we had just booked to go on a cruise in the Fjords.

“I still see and hear her falling all the time. I continually agonise wondering if I could have caught and saved her."

Falmouth Packet:

Jan Stuart with husband Paul

Paul went on to add that while some improvement works had been made, such as handrails being added, there had been "no discernible changes to the surface of the steps."

“I feel like I’m in a total vacuum. I am toddling along and people say time is a healer but it hasn’t been so far.

"I really think that if those stairs were improved it would help me move on a little but as it is, I’m tormented that the same could happen to somebody else," he said.

The Chapterhouse Stairs currently remain out of use, as a result of entry to the cathedral being via the west end only and a one-way system put in place due to coronavirus social distancing regulations.

The Very Revd Roger Bush, Dean of Truro, said in a statement: "Jan’s death continues to be a source of deep sadness to us at the cathedral, and indeed across the wider church community here in Cornwall.

“We were surprised to receive an approach from a media outlet asking us for a response, as to date the cathedral has not received any notification about a civil suit.

"In these circumstances it is probably better that we don’t make any comment, save to say that we will respond when we are contacted, and of course that we continue to hold Jan and her family in our prayers.”