Exeter city council has denied that the steps down to a ferry, where a local woman fell and drowned, breached health and safety legislation.
80 year old Dorothy Stevens from Silverton, fell into the river after getting off the Butts Ferry on the quayside in July 2010.
The Health and Safety Executive, which is bringing the case against the council, says the steps were uneven and the handrail not long enough.
The council denies failing to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act. The trial continues.
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