An elderly county resident fell and cut her forehead after tripping on Hereford’s infamous Widemarsh Street kerb.
Jean Reynolds, 77, from Cusop near Hay-on-Wye, fell while crossing the street from one Philip Morris store to the other on June 14.
The fall cut her forehead, grazed her knees and broke her glasses.
She was taken to Hereford County Hospital and was given six stitches to close the wound.
Her daughter Sharon Colcombe is calling on Herefordshire Council to do something to reduce the number of people tripping up – she suggested they could mark the low kerb.
“Something needs to be done because people are tripping up here on a regular basis,” she said.
“It’s only a small lip and pedestrians do not see it.
“Maybe a bright colour could be used to make people aware there is a depth difference.”
She said local businesses and passersby came to the aid of her mother.
“The staff at Philip Morris were great. They helped my mother with a chair and they had medical supplies like plasters to help her.
“They told my mother they have a chair specially for people who trip up and on average it’s at least here people a week.
“Surely it’s time to do something about the pavement there.”
A freedom of information request revealed last year that there had been 102 cases reported of people tripping up along Widemarsh Street to Herefordshire Council since it was refurbished in 2011.
A Herefordshire Council spokesperson said the kerb provided the best possible means of promoting safety along the street which is open to traffic at certain times of the day.
“We hope the lady concerned makes a full recovery as soon as possible,” she said.
“Widemarsh Street is open to traffic before 10.30am and after 4.30pm but is pedestrianised at other times.
“This means that measures must be in place to make clear the extent of the road for motorists, while not excluding full use of the area by pedestrians.
“The refurbishment of Widemarsh Street included extensive safety research and consideration, and it was decided that the kerb currently in place provided the best possible means of promoting safety at all times of day.
“The safety of both motorists and pedestrians is our top priority and we will continue to monitor Widemarsh Street to ensure the most effective safety measures are in place.”
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