A woman has died after falling 100ft from the ninth floor of a car park.

The woman, in her 30s, was sitting on the ninth floor ledge of the multi-storey car park at Chelmsford's High Chelmer shopping centre when she fell.

Police had already been called to the scene after somebody saw her sitting on the ledge and CCTV cameras in the area had also spotted her.

Insp Chris Macintosh said three police officers were talking to the woman, who was sitting facing outwards with her back to the car park at the corner of Victoria Road South and Bellmead.

He said she had been threatening to jump but as she turned to talk to the officers she lost her footing and slipped.

She tried to hold on but lost her grip and fell about 100ft on to the pavement.

An ambulance was already on standby at the scene, where she was stabilised and then taken to Chelmsford's Broomfield Hospital. She suffered serious head and leg injuries and died later.

Published Tuesday August 13, 2002

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