OAP afraid to go out after fall in Helensburgh

Published 13 May 2010 10:35 0 Comments

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JENNY MORTON: Cut and bruised

A TERRIFYING fall on Helensburgh seafront has left a Burgh woman shaken and frightened to go out on her own.

Mrs Jenny Morton (77) was badly bruised and suffered minor cuts when the wheel of her walking frame caught in a hole in the pavement, and she was catapulted over the frame, landing heavily.

The accident happened on West Clyde Street between Colquhoun Street and James Street and concerned passers-by helped Mrs Morton to her feet while staff from the Riverbank provided a seat and offered her refreshment.

Mrs Morton said: "I am 78 in June, no spring chicken, and I need the walking frame because I have had both my hips replaced twice.

"When I fell my first thought was that I might have broken one of my hips because if that happened I would be in a wheelchair because they couldn't replace it a third time.

"However, I was lucky enough just to be badly bruised from my knee to my ankle and I cut a toe which is still being dressed by the chiropodist but I am now frightened to go out by myself because it could happen again."

She continued: "I love to get out and about and quite often go for a walk but now I am worried about doing that because of the state of the pavements in Helensburgh.

"They really are bad and this fall has really given me a fright."

Mrs Morton, who has two daughters reported the fall and the pavement problems to the CHORD team who were seeking views on the regeneration of Helensburgh Town Centre at a gazebo in Colquhoun Square last week.

But Helensburgh Councillor Vivien Dance did not have much in the way of good news for her.

She said: "We are very aware of the state of the pavements in Helensburgh, they are appalling after years of neglect, but because they will come under the CHORD project the council would be unlikely to do anything about them at this stage.

"I am very sorry about what happened to this lady but I can only ask people to bear with us. The council tax payers would not be happy if we replaced the pavements now and the dug them up to do them again in 18 months time when the CHORD project works get under way. It would be seen rightly as a terrible waste of council money.

"The only comfort I can offer is that the town centre project is running to time and everything is going very well."

This article appeared in Helensburgh Advertiser 13 May 10

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