Woman killed by falling branch 'while walking with child' in popular country park
A woman has died after being hit by a falling branch while on a walk at a popular park in Lancashire.
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According to local reports, the woman, who is believed to be in her 30s, was walking with a child at Blackburn's Witton Country Park on Monday when the tragedy happened.
Police were called to the scene near the Buncer Lane entrance of the park at 8.33pm, where emergency services found the woman unresponsive, and she was pronounced dead at the scene shortly later.
It has been reported that Blackburn with Darwen Council, which owns the 480-acre park, felled the beech tree from which the branch fell after the incident.
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In a statement, the council said: "Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council is deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the public has tragically died following an incident in Witton Park yesterday, when a large tree branch fell."
A Lancashire Police spokesperson said: "We were called to Witton Park, Preston Old Road, Blackburn, at 8.33pm on August 11 following reports a woman had been struck by a falling tree branch.
"Emergency services attended and found the woman unresponsive.
"Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, she was tragically pronounced dead at the scene.
"Her death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for HM Coroner in due course."