THE grandmother of a Witney teenager who drowned in last year’s floods has called for signs to warn others of the danger.

Patricia Weeden made the plea after the inquest into the death of her grandson Max Sullivan Webb – also known as Max Weeden.

The 17-year-old died after becoming stuck in a flooded culvert off Eastfield Road.

Mrs Weeden, 68, of Freeland, said: “There weren’t signs to show there was a culvert there, the boys didn’t know. We don’t want it to happen again.”

Sarah Sharpe, of the Environment Agency, said the area where Max died fell under the jurisdiction of West Oxfordshire District Council.

She said: “We are of course happy and willing to help and advise the council if they want to introduce any signs in the area.

“We understand that as a result of the death, West Oxfordshire District Council has installed a screen to guard the entrance of the culvert.”

A council spokesman added: “This tragic accident occurred on private land, but after the incident the council advised the tenant farmer on how to improve the safety of the area. He has paid for a grille to be installed over the culvert.

“If members of the public feel there are any further culverts that pose a danger, they should notify the council so officers can enter into dialogue with the owner.”

Last night the Oxford Mail was unable to contact the landowner for comment.

At Friday’s inquest, Oxford Coroner’s Court heard Max, a former Wood Green School pupil, and his friends 17-year-old Daniel Martin and 12-year-old Connor Lawler were playing in flooded fields on June 3 last year.

A month’s worth of rain fell in Oxfordshire that day.

The boys were walking along a swollen stream when Max’s foot became stuck in the culvert, due to the suction force of water being drawn into the 12in diameter pipe.

After he was freed Max, of Judds Close, was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital, in Oxford, where he was pronounced dead later that night.

The coroner recorded an accidental death verdict.

Mrs Weeden paid tribute to her grandson: “Max was a full of life chap. He was wonderful, I just feel sad that he had so much to give in his life ahead of him.”

The Environment Agency is working with the district council to solve flooding problems near Eastfield Road after deciding upstream flood storage areas, to retain water during high rainfall, were too expensive.

witney @oxfordmail.co.uk