A former regional press reporter has died after falling from the top of a car park, it was reported today.
Alison Gordon, who worked for the then Reading Evening Post in the 1990s, died after falling from the top of a multi-storey car park in Reading town centre on Saturday.
Police were called to the car park at 5.15pm on Saturday following reports of a woman leaning over the top storey, Reading Post website getreading.co.uk reported.
Satisfied that she was not a cause for concern, officers left the scene but had to return just before 7pm after Ms Gordon’s body was discovered.
The incident was initially referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) but it has decided not to pursue the matter and has handed it back to Thames Valley Police.
Ms Gordon worked at the Post in the late 80s and early 90s as health reporter and chief reporter before going on to work at the Mail on Sunday.
More recently she had worked as editor of Nursery Management Today magazine.
Former Post chief photographer Steve Templeman told getreading.co.uk: “She was a really nice girl – very professional and very likeable.
“It was quite a few years ago that I worked with her but I still remember her.
“She was health reporter and I remember going to the John Radcliffe Hospital [in Oxford] with her for a story about a child who had a transplant.
“I’m sad and shocked to hear what’s happened. It’s a real shame.”
Police spokeswoman Lucy Billen said: “Officers went to the scene and spoke to a woman who provided an explanation with which officers were satisfied.
“They left at around 5.30pm and police records state that the woman was on the ground floor by that time.”
A spokesman for the IPCC said: “The IPCC received a referral in relation to this case. Following an assessment of the information available, the case was been returned to Thames Valley Police to deal with.
“This is because there does not appear to be any information provided to the officers which should give them cause to believe that there was a real and immediate risk to life.”
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I was Alison Gordon’s news editor on the Mail on Sunday and am shocked by the tragic news of her death.She was a journalist of great conviction, talent,determination and honesty who was a key member of a tremendous reporting team on the newspaper. She always gave her best and was never afraid to stand up for herself.
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I dealt with Alison on an almost daily basis during her time as the health reporter on the MoS and found her a top pro reporter full of passion for her subject. Her death is clearly a very great tragedy.
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It’s a sad fact that when someone, anyone, dies in this way, there is often an outpouring of affection and warmth that the victim never knew existed in the desperate hours before their demise.
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