Cornish landlady whose staircase collapse injured own family left 'hurt' by comments

A Cornish landlady has expressed her shock after four family members sustained severe injuries when a fire escape at the rear of her property gave way.

Helen Randall remains stunned following Sunday night's incident in Cornwall, when the fire escape staircase at the back of her St Ives property suddenly collapsed.

The fire escape connects to a roof terrace and can now be seen twisted and damaged at the building's rear, which Helen's husband purchased in 1997.

"It's been horrific," Helen told CornwallLive. "The stairs collapsed and four members of my family were injured and we don't know why the stairs collapsed."

She explained that the building's lower section where the accident occurred is approximately 25 years old, whilst the upper portion is around eight years old.

At roughly 7pm yesterday evening, the rear fire escape gave way, triggering a massive emergency response.

Cornwall Air Ambulance touched down in a neighbouring field, alongside three land ambulances and three rapid response vehicles, with fire crews from the town and police also attending.

Helen said she has been deeply upset and frustrated by Facebook comments suggesting "it must be some rogue landlord again".

"I'm not a rogue landlord," she insisted.

"It's my own family who got hurt. We have some wonderful tenants, some of whom have been tenants with us long term.

"No tenant was hurt. But my brother has some fractured ribs, his wife has a broken ankle and my mum suffered a broken ankle, damaged knee and a dislocated shoulder. My aunt was flown out to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth with two broken legs and two broken arms."

Helen said she managed to speak to her aunt in hospital this morning but remains uncertain about her recovery prospects given her advanced age.

Devon and Cornwall Police have confirmed that one woman sustained potentially life-altering injuries from the incident and required air ambulance transport to hospital.

Helen said a constable from Devon and Cornwall Police has been stationed at the scene overnight and through the morning until Health and Safety Executive investigators arrive at her premises to determine what caused the staircase to give way and establish what remedial action she must undertake.

She said it marks the first occasion in almost three decades that such an incident has occurred at Helen's premises.

She told CornwallLive: "They said this sort of thing can happen but because we have tenants they need to check everything. That staircase is our fire escape and we have all the fire regulations and certificates in place. It has been very traumatic."

A constable was positioned outside the premises when reporters arrived on Monday morning.

He explained his duty was to prevent anyone from accessing the rear area and risking additional harm until HSE investigators have conducted their examination.

One local revealed: "It was just after 7pm. I saw the fire engine so I went up to the end of my garden to be nosy. There were three road ambulances and at one point there were three more rapid response vehicles. I had heard the air ambulance land in the field nearby."

A neighbour from the block of flats where the tragedy unfolded said: "I became aware of it when I heard the helicopter and the ambulances in the street. I didn't know what had happened until this morning when I read it on the news. It's really sad and I hope they will be ok."