Grieving Sheffield mum pleads for safer barriers in high-rise buildings nine years after son’s death

It has taken nine, arduous long years for Ann Khan of Darnall to finally find the courage to speak up after her own son fell to his death from the top floor of one of the city's iconic buildings, the Q-Park car park on Charles Street, popularly known as the 'Cheesegrater.'

Still reeling from the loss of her beloved son, the grief-stricken mum-of-six chose to keep silent all these years until the city was rocked by the sudden death of Mohammed Munib Majeedi, whose family escaped the Taliban to seek asylum in the UK.

Just like her son's, she believes that Muhammed's death was preventable and more needs to be done to prevent further deaths involving high rise buildings.

Ann said: "It (Muhammed's death) opened up really old wounds. My son was 20 years old when he fell from the top of the Q Park.

"I was absolutely devastated and I've been very traumatised by it, and this boy's death has just brought all the feelings back. I thought it was time for me to talk about deaths from heights.

"All these deaths are preventable and there needs to be something done about it."

The 49-year-old mum said her son, Ahmad Doumani Khan, affectionately called 'Madi', was due to come home on May 3, 2012 for his sister's birthday a few days later. Instead of seeing him walk through the front door, she received a knock on the door.

"It's the police officers informing me that he's fallen to his death. It's not something I want another mother from Sheffield or beyond to ever go through. Part of me died that day and it's still very hard to talk about.

"Losing a 20-year-old son is horrific and the traumatic circumstances mean that where he fell, I still can't breathe. And I won't be able to breathe unless something is done.