Trip on path

A 67-year-old man is recovering from injuries after he tripped and fell on an uneven path in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.

Douglas Bunting was walking along Church Terrace on December 12 last year when he fell, breaking his right arm.

Mr Bunting was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital at King's Lynn where he stayed overnight and it was later decided he would need an operation to insert a plate and screws into the injured limb.

The pensioner decided to raise his concerns with Cambridgeshire County Council after seeing that a six-year-old schoolboy had also suffered cuts and bruising from tripping on an uneven piece of pavement at Freedom Bridge roundabout at around the same time.

Mr Bunting told the Fenland Citizen newspaper that he fears the town is "falling to bits".

A spokesman for the county council said that Church Terrace is in a conservation area and the materials used for the kerbs and paths have to be in keeping with that.

Although no one from the council contacted Mr Bunting regarding the fall initially, the spokesman confirmed that a highways inspector checked the area the next day and found no major defects.

"We do recognise the surface is undulating because of the materials we have to use in a conservation area but we take safety very seriously and the maintenance of paths," he said.

Copyright © Press Association 2009

Lawyer speaks on local authority responsibility for maintaining pavement

Katrina Elsey of Irwin Mitchell Solicitors commented, "Local Authorities are responsible for checking and maintaining pavements and highways. Once a defect in the pavement has been identified by inspection, a repair must be carried out within a reasonable amount of time to prevent injury to the public who frequently use the area. If repeated falls are occurring by members of the public in a certain area then the area would constitute a hazard to pedestrians and the Local Authority should ensure the necessary repairs are carried out to prevent further accidents occurring."

If you have been injured as a result of a fall on a path or pavement, it may be possible to claim compensation. Read our claims against the council page to find out more.