'Fall risk' for elderly and disabled people near Saddlers Walk

Edwin Gilbert of Saddlers Walk, Worcester, is worried his disabled wife Hazel will trip and fall on the uneven pavement or take a tumble off the kerb in Potters Close unless something is done soon.

However, Citizen Housing, which is responsible for the land, says work will begin in October to fix the path and bring in more signs.

READ MORE: Suspected thief had knife and was 'equipped for burglary'

READ MORE: Manhunt for Dan Lloyd - he will hand himself in 'when he's ready'

The 76-year-old, who is also concerned for other neighbours, said: "Anything could happen if she falls. I'm worried about her falling over. I don't want anything to happen to me either. You only have to come out one day and slip, especially if it's icy."

UNEVEN: The pavement people have to negotiate to get to the footway crossing. Photo: James Connell (Image: UNEVEN: The pavement people have to negotiate to get to the footway crossing. Photo: James Connell)

Mrs Gilbert, 75, is registered disabled and suffers from heart problems, using a walking stick to get around. The couple has now enlisted the help of Warndon Labour councillor Jill Desayrah who has been in touch with landowners Citizen Housing.

At the moment Mr Gilbert and his daughter help Mrs Gilbert down off the kerb and she has to hang onto the side of her trolley. However, he also says it is an issue for people with pushchairs and anyone on mobility scooters.

RISKS: Potters Close. Photo: James Connell (Image: RISKS: Potters Close. Photo: James Connell)

Born in Tolladine, Mr Gilbert said he and his wife had lived at the terraced house for the last 43 years. Before he retired, he worked at Morgan Crucible in Norton and then as a security guard for Worcester Bosch.

The couple, and others in the area, have been supported by Cllr Desayrah who has been calling for landlords Citizen Housing to introduce a new footway crossing

Cllr Desayrah said: "I'm worried about someone hurting themselves. It's not right people should be made to risk injury for the sake of having access to the car park. At the very least they should put a hatched 'no parking' sign across the existing footway crossing."

To get to the existing footway crossing, where the kerb is dropped, means negotiating a narrow, uneven pathway beset by lumps and bumps caused by tree roots.

The alternative is to take a risky shortcut, stepping off an eight-inch high kerb.

At the moment, Cllr Desayrah says residents have little choice but to step off the kerb itself as drivers often park across the existing footway crossing, meaning that people cannot use it all.

Cllr Desayrah says she first raised the issue about a month ago on social media and did not see it as 'a big fix' in terms of it being resolved. 

A spokesperson for Citizen said: “The safety of our customers is our top priority, and we are committed to working with them to ensure the areas are safe for them to use.

“We are aware of the concerns raised about the uneven path at Potters Close and we have work planned to repair the uneven path that leads to the dropped kerb. This work will be completed by the end of October.

“Often vehicles park across the footway crossing and we are working on a wider project to address the shortage of parking at this location. In the meantime, we are looking at installing signs to make the footway crossing more visible.”