THE mother of Megan Roberts has visited York on the anniversary of her death to encourage more work to protect vulnerable people from the dangers of the city’s rivers.

Jackie Roberts, who has campaigned to raise awareness since Megan died in the Ouse on a night out three years ago, is now a drowning prevention liaison officer with the Royal Life Saving Society, and visited the city with Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan and a representative from York St John University.

Together, they visited riverside bars to encourage staff and managers to do more to raise awareness of the dangers of being drunk close to the river, and handed out posters, leaflets and specially-designed bar mats to be placed in the pubs, as the RLSS Don’t Drink And Drown campaign continues.

Jackie said: “It’s three years today since Megan died in York and we’ve set out this afternoon to deliver some PR materials for the RLSS campaign which the universities are running in York this week.

“We’ve had some really, really good feedback from the bars and pubs who’ve been really helpful about getting the messages across. Those are staying together, looking after your friends and getting home safe.”

Katie Irving vice president of welfare and diversity for York St John University’s student union, said she remembered Megan going missing, and was proud to help the RLSS campaign.

She said: “I remember how people were all sharing on Facebook, everyone was so worried, and I met people who were friends of Megan.

“This campaign is so important because although Megan did lose her life, it affects a lot of people so we’re here to promote that you can go out and have as much fun as you want, just please get home safe and stay away from the river.”

Julia Mulligan said: “It’s difficult on a day like this when the river is so calm and it’s such a lovely day to imagine the horror that can happen if a loved on went in this river so we’re here today to say to everybody who’s enjoying a good night out in York to please don’t drink and drown.”

This week also sees the launch of a campaign by the RLSS which includes tribute pages set up in memory of drowning victims, with friends and family members encouraged to post photographs and memories online.

The pages can also be used as fundraising sites, but Jackie said she found Megan’s page - the first to be set up - “another way of helping me learn to live with the pain of loss”.

“Friends and family can add memories and photographs and there are some really lovely features on there.”

To find out more about the Don’t Drink And Drown campaign, go to rlss.org.uk/dont-drink-and-drown

To visit Megan’s tribute page go to megan.roberts.muchloved.com or to find out more about setting up your own page go to rlss.org.uk/support-us/tribute-funds