THE condition of AltonÕs pavements has been called into question once again, after an elderly man suffered severe facial injuries following a fall in Normandy Street.

This latest injury, which it is likely will result in a compensation claim against the Hampshire County Council, occurred less than 18 months after the pavements in Normandy Street were completely relaid, raising doubts over the quality of workmanship by county council contractors.

Tom Arnott, 70, was walking with his wife on the north side of Normandy Street at 12-35 pm on Saturday, January 4, when he tripped over a defective paving slab that had come loose from its concrete base.

Mr Arnott landed heavily on his face, sustaining a nasty cut to the forehead, abrasions under his right eye and damage to his nose and lips. All of the wounds bled profusely.

Mr Arnott said: ÒWhile I was lying on the pavement, several passers-by stopped to help. One young mother who happened to be a nurse, staunched the bleeding and said, Ôstitches and an ambulance neededÕ. Another bystander, a young man with a mobile phone, then immediately summoned an ambulance.

ÒI was then bandaged by the paramedics, picked up off the pavement and taken to A&E at Basingstoke, where I was cleaned and patched up, tested, X-rayed and discharged.

ÒMy wife and I wish to say thank you to all the young people who did not pass by on the other side of the street when they found a grey-haired man in his 70th year, bleeding on the ground, but instinctively did the right thing.

ÒIt is very warming to know that Good Samaritans are alive and well and living in Alton today.

ÒConsidering that the pavement was only relaid in 2001, it isnÕt really good enough. It looked all right but the paving is not secure. This seems to suggest a sub-standard job.

ÒThere seems to have been a lack of care taken in the pavement work. The pavement has been a source of complaint before, but it seems that no action has been taken.

ÒIndeed, when I was lying on the pavement, the chap from the kebab shop came out and said that a child had fallen in the same place earlier that week. And I remember reading that numerous people had fallen in similar circumstances, suffering a range of injuries. I remember one woman actually broke her ankle.

ÒIn short, the pavement has been relaid, and it is still hurting people. This is a major cause for concern, and I will be making a compensation claim.Ó

Alton Town Council is also unhappy with the situation. Town clerk Steve Parkinson said: ÒThe town council is generally disappointed with the countyÕs maintenance of the paving in AltonÕs town centre.

ÒWe have made efforts to raise public concern over the issue, and we have given the public the opportunity to raise their concern directly with the county council.

ÒAt the annual town meeting, around 20 people turned up to raise the issue of the townÕs footpaths and roads with the county councillor present.

ÒHowever, it is clear that there is still a problem, and we will continue to press the county for greater action.Ó

Assistant town clerk Greg Burt added: ÒThe law says that slab edges should protrude no more than 20 millimetres.

ÒI would suggest that there are not many of these in Normandy Street, and that the High Street is far worse.Ó

Colin Taylor, Hampshire County CouncilÕs chief engineer, said: ÒI am very sorry to hear about Mr ArnottÕs fall, and we hope he soon recovers from his injuries which have doubtlessly caused him a lot of distress. I have not yet seen any correspondence from Mr Arnott, but I will be taking steps to contact him shortly.

ÒSince this is the first IÕve heard of this incident, I have not yet seen this particular area of pavement for myself. This means that I canÕt really comment at the moment, as we do not yet know what has caused the slab to come loose.

ÒThe idea has been raised that a lorry could be responsible for the damage, but we will not know until the site has been examined. These paths are not designed for lorries. There are ways to stop lorries from mounting the pavement, but lorry drivers should be well aware of the damage this can cause, and should have the responsibility not to mount the pavement when parking.

ÒMinor repairs to pavements are done as and when they are identified. Alton is inspected once a month for such faults, but we urge members of the public who have spotted an area of concern to get in touch with us so that the situation can be examined.

ÒOnce a problem is identified, the timescale for repair very much depends on its severity. If a huge problem is spotted, we can get someone out in under two hours, but obviously, each individual situation has to be assessed and work has to be prioritised.

ÒWhere someone has fallen over, we look at the problem straight away, and the timescale for repair is decided from there with the priority of making it safe.

ÒOur duty is to maintain the safety of the highway network, and if a member of the public informs us of a problem, then it will be taken care of.Ó

Anyone wishing to report faulty paving to Hampshire County Council can do so on 01730 266411, or online at [email protected]">[email protected], or by writing to Colin Taylor at Hampshire Highways East, The Old College, College Street, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU31 4AG.