A GARDEN centre has gone on trial accused of breaching health and safety laws after a pensioner was injured on its premises.
The Chilton Garden Centre, near Didcot, denies two charges under the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act.
Derek Barlow was 78 when he tripped and fell while shopping at the store, formerly run by Wyevale, now The Garden Centre Group, on April 23, 2009.
Nigel Daly, for the Vale of White Horse District Council, told jurors yesterday at Oxford Crown Court Mr Barlow was pushing a trolley when he caught his feet in pieces of concrete, which were standing proud of the surface.
Mr Barlow suffered knee and shoulder injuries, the court heard.
Mr Daly said the lumps of concrete, removed soon after the accident, had been known about since about January 2009 but had been covered by tables and shelving.
Staff member Mark Crook told jurors the area was not an obstacle.
He said “about a dozen” signs in the vicinity warned customers of the uneven surface.
The trial continues.
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