THE FAMILY of a woman who was crushed to death by a faulty lift is still waiting for the outcome of an investigation a year after the accident which claimed her life.

Grandmother-of-six Christine Allen, 50, was trapped by a malfunctioning lift on the Orchard Estate in Woodford Green on August 8 last year.

She suffered fatal head injuries when the lift she stepped into in the Lambourne Court tower block continued to rise.

The investigation into Mrs Allen's death was launched by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the police last November, but has yet to report its findings.

Mrs Allen, of Apollo Court in Leytonstone, was visiting her daughter Laura Dawkins, 27, and her three grand-children who lived on the estate at the time.

Mrs Dawkins, who has since moved away from the area, said she couldn't understand why the investigation was taking so long, but despite the fact that had a year had gone by she was still eager to establish the circumstances of her mother's death.

She said: “I heard from the police about a month ago, and all they could tell me was that the investigation was still ongoing. That's all I've been able to get from them.

“I'm finding it a bit tough at the moment, and my eldest daughter is finding it difficult as well.”

She added said that she was uncertain about what she would do to mark the anniversary of her mum's death on the day itself.

“It's so difficult to do something for a death anniversary, we'll probably have a family get together or something.

“It's still very important to me that I find out exactly what happened.”

The HSE said the police were now leading the inquiry into Mrs Allen's death.

The Guardian has contacted the investigating officer for a comment.