Storm Doris was 'perfectly usual' winter weather, expert tells Tahnie Martin inquest

Tahnie Martin died after being hit by a water tank cover in Wolverhampton city centre.

Tahnie Martin, inset, died after she was hit by a water tank cover in Dudley Street, Wolverhampton

A storm during which a woman died after being hit by flying debris was ‘perfectly usual’ winter weather, an inquest hearing was told.

Tahnie Martin, from Stafford, was killed after being struck by a water tank cover which had broken off from the roof of a shopping centre on February 23 as Storm Doris battered Wolverhampton.

However, a pre-inquest hearing yesterday heard a weather expert has deemed the storm a normal winter occurrence.

Bernard Thorogood, representing Wolverhampton council, said expert Dr Richard Wild had compiled a report which classed Doris as ‘a perfectly usual winter storm’.

Debris is carried away from the scene of the tragedy near Starbucks

Miss Martin, aged 29, was walking along Dudley Street near the Mander Centre when she was struck.

Mr Thorogood said: “[According to Dr Wild] Storm Doris was a perfectly usual winter storm which somewhere around the UK would occur each year, and eyebrows would not be raised.

"In the scheme of things it’s nowhere near the top of the range of bad storms.”

Miss Martin worked as a marketing manager at the University of Wolverhampton

Mr Wild is set to be one of the witnesses when a full jury inquest into the death of Miss Martin, a University of Wolverhampton marketing worker, takes place on October 2.

Coroner Zafar Siddique set out the planned scope of the inquest during the preliminary hearing.

He said it will look at ‘what systems were in place to maintain the fixtures and structures on the roof that were disturbed and detached on February 23, as well as what maintenance work had been performed or carried out’.

People can be seen on roofs looking over Dudley Street in the wake of the incident

The inquest will also be concerned with ‘what, if any, weather warnings were issued prior to February 23 and whether there was a system in place to receive and respond to weather warnings’ – as well as the cause of Miss Martin’s death.

Katharine Clough, director of external relations at the university, paid tribute to Miss Martin earlier this year, saying: “We feel privileged and honoured to have worked alongside Tahnie.

"She was one of our shining stars, a talented and creative marketing professional with an enthusiasm and smile which were infectious.

"Tahnie was extremely popular and will be hugely missed. All of our thoughts are with her family and friends at this tragic time."