Woman injured in fall on Witney's uneven paving (From Oxford Mail)

Woman injured in fall on Witney's uneven paving

1:00pm Wednesday 14th November 2012 in Witney By Tom Jennings, covering Witney and West Oxfordshire. Call me on 01865 425403

Ann Madden was badly injured after tripping on paving outside the Woolgate Shopping Centre

A WITNEY woman has called for repairs to the town’s paving after she was badly injured falling on an uneven stone.

Ann Madden, 75, was shopping in Witney on October 6 when she fell on paving outside the Woolgate Shopping Centre.

She was left with a bruised nose and jaw, broken finger in her right hand and broken left hand and arm.

The great-grandmother spent 12 days in hospital and had an operation to insert pins in her left arm. The pins are due to be taken out in two weeks’ time.

Mrs Madden, of New Yatt Road, said: “I was walking past Baker’s Butchers and I stood on a stone that came up out of the ground and into the air.

“It was a bad fall and my face was bleeding afterwards. I was quite a mess.”

She added: “I am very annoyed with Oxfordshire County Council.

“We wrote to the council and they say they inspect and maintain the pavements every month, but that is a lie – the stone is still there. They need to get to grips with this because so many people are falling over and someone is going to do more damage than I did. What if an elderly lady in ill health fell? It could have killed her.”

Mrs Madden said the state of paths across Witney was “disgusting” and pointed to Corn Street and High Street as a particularly poor area.

She is considering suing the county council for compensation.

In October, disabled residents complained about the “dangerous” state of paving in Witney, including in the town centre, and said it was difficult to traverse.

Council spokesman Martin Crabtree said: “Witney town centre is inspected each month and faults are tackled as and when they are identified. We also respond when members of the public report problems to us.

“The county council has been in discussions with local councillors and the district council regarding the possibility of a wider scheme for Witney Market Square.

“To take this forward designs are being produced to improve the area. Councillors are currently considering how this scheme may be taken forward.”

Repairs to Corn Street’s footpath, costing £50,000, were due to start this month and £30,000 of work to fix Market Square is expected to start next year.

County Hall has spent about £15,000 this year on railings in Church Green and speed warning signs in Oxford Hill.