Train window death woman was hit by a branch as she made her way home from Christmas shopping trip

Police have said the woman who died while leaning out of a train window was hit by a branch as she made her way home after doing her Christmas shopping.

Bethan Roper, 28, suffered serious head injuries on a Bristol Temple Meads-bound train service between Bath and Keynsham on December 1.

Miss Roper, a charity worker from Penarth, South Wales, was travelling home from a visit to the Christmas markets in Bath.

Police believe her fatal injuries were caused when she leaned out of the train window.

Her death is not being treated as suspicious, according to British Transport Police.

Miss Roper was working for Welsh Refugee Council at the time of her death, having graduated from Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2013.

She was also chairwoman Young Socialists Cardiff, and gave a speech in Cardiff earlier this year arguing that asylum seekers’ right to work and receive education were being ignored by the UK government.

British Transport Police said its initial inquiries suggested Miss Roper may have been leaning out of a carriage window at the time.

In a statement at the time of her death, BTP said: ‘We were called at around 10.10pm following a report a woman had received serious head injuries while travelling on a train between Bath and Keynsham.

‘Officers from BTP attended along with colleagues from Avon and Somerset Police and South Western Ambulance Service but despite their best efforts, the woman died at the scene.

MORE: Revealed: The university that gives first-class degrees to 50% of its students as regulator warns of grades inflation
MORE: Elon Musk unveils ‘epic’ underground tunnel to combat ‘soul-destroying traffic’ across the world

‘Officers were called at 10.10pm on Saturday (01/12) following a report a woman had received serious head injuries while travelling on a train between Bath and Keynsham.

‘Colleagues from South Western Ambulance Service also attended, however, despite their best efforts, a 28-year-old woman from Penarth sadly died at the scene. Her family has been informed.

‘Our investigation remains at an early stage, but initial enquiries suggest the woman may have been leaning out of a window when she suffered a blow to the head.

The incident has been reported to the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.