REPAIR work on a stretch of towpath where Oxford teenager Ben Halsey-Jones fell to his death is due to start on Monday.

Towpath access will be restricted between Rainbow Bridge at Medley Boatyard to Bailey Bridge in Port Meadow.

Ben, 15, of Home Close, Wolvercote, was cycling along the towpath beside the flooded river at Port Meadow on January 21 last year, when he fell into the water.

His body was found at Tumbling Bay, Botley, on February 16.

At an inquest last July, Dr Richard Whittington, the assistant deputy coroner for Oxfordshire, recorded a verdict of accidental death.

The work is part of a £400,000 allocation made by Oxfordshire County Council to repair the section of towpath from Rainbow Bridge to Fiddler's Island.

The council spent almost £300,000 upgrading the towpath from Folly Bridge to Donnington Bridge during 2006 and the current work forms the second phase of this project.

County councillor Ian Hudspeth, cabinet member for transport, said: "We have now reached a key phase of work where access along the towpath will have to be limited.

"We have worked closely with our contractor to make sure the route remains partially open and we will ensure the width restrictions are lifted as soon as possible."