A woman whose husband was killed by a falling tree limb is fighting for a law change so councils are forced to carry out regular maintenance and safety inspections.

Christopher Hall, 48, from Cheshire was walking his dog in The Carrs Park on August 28, 2020, when the large limb of a tree fell and struck him.

The tragedy happened less than a year after another large limb from the same tree had fallen off.

But the first incident was never investigated by Cheshire East Council, which is responsible for the park, or its ground maintenance company, Ansa.

Now Mr Hall's widow Fiona, and their son, Sam, from Wilmslow, are campaigning to make regular tree safety inspections mandatory to ensure no other family has to endure the pain and heartbreak they have suffered.

In a petition launched on change.org, Mrs Hall said: "Chris's Law is critical as there is no statutory requirement for councils to carry out regular, proactive tree inspections or tree maintenance, this has cost lives!

She continued: "Chris was simply walking our dog on a dry warm summer's afternoon and since that day it has been impossible for me to remain idle after losing him.

"My passion to drive change and obtain justice in such horrific circumstances is deeply personal and I am committed to seeing this initiative through to fruition.

"Chris's death was utterly senseless and completely avoidable.

"The decayed tree, known to be dangerously unstable on the main public path, collapsed on him taking his life instantly.

"This catastrophic incident was not a result of the weather but an unforgivable failure of responsibility and maintenance by Cheshire East Council."

In November last year Cheshire East Council was fined £500,000 after pleading guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Tatton MP Esther McVey is supporting Mrs Hall's campaign and it is due to be debated in Parliament on Wednesday (15 October).

Cllr David Jefferay, chair of Cheshire East's environment and communities committee, said: "My thoughts and those of the council remain with the family and other loved ones of Mr Hall – I also understand the impact this has had on the wider local community.

"Since this tragic incident, we have implemented a number of improvements in line with our adopted tree management strategy.

"Our priority is to ensure the safety of everyone who visits and enjoys our green spaces."