A promised safety sign has still not been installed almost two years after a dog was swept away into the sea.
Bodie, a cocker spaniel, fell from the jetty at Roa Island, near Barrow, in the summer of 2024.
His owner contacted Barrow town councillor Paul Griffiths wanting to make sure the same never happened to another dog – or even a toddler.
Cllr Griffiths worked with the town council to get a temporary sign installed within 48 hours before approaching Westmorland and Furness Council, which agreed a permanent barrier and warning sign were urgently needed.
The final design was approved in October 2024 but nothing has so far been erected or installed.
Cllr Griffiths said he asked the council about it on multiple occasions, sometimes receiving no response and at other times being told it would be a couple of weeks or the sign was on order.
He said: “It’s frustrating but also concerning that the council officer agreed for the need to install a warning/information sign but didn’t follow it through in a timely manner.
“Since becoming a councillor, I placed an emphasis on water safety at the Rampside location and was responsible for making sure that Roa Island and Piel Island were both provided with a lifebuoy and a defibrillator.
“This sign is a key addition because the dog owner told me he didn’t know he could reach the Coastguard via 999.”
He added that the jetty was used to access the ferry to Piel Island so was very busy during the summer months.
Cllr Griffiths said he was told the officer who approved the sign no longer worked for the council but due to it being approved by the same officer in October 2024 and pursuing them until at least April 2025, their leaving did not explain that delay.
The council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service this week that the sign had been made and a site visit with a contractor was planned for early next week.
It added that it hoped the sign would be installed by the end of next week, depending on availability.
