A NORMANDY veteran was in Alton last week to appeal for witnesses to help in an injury claim against Hampshire County Council. Octogenarian Norman "Joe" Gilbert revisited the site where he fell over a loose paving stone, resulting in a dash to North Hampshire Hospital, shocked and bruised and nursing a badly lacerated hand. Mr Gilbert had been in Alton helping with an in-store collection on behalf of the Normandy Veterans Trust and had taken a break to get some lunch. However, while walking up Cross and Pillory Lane, on his way to the Market Square, he stepped onto the pavement opposite The Alton Craft Centre, the stone tipped and he was sent flying. Having received 10 stitches in his thumb at the hospital, Mr Gilbert was handed a card on the back of which were details of a firm of "no win, no fee" solicitors. This was on September 6, 2003, and at the time the Southsea man thought nothing of it. He is not one to complain and says he is not after the compensation. However he has since come to believe that HCC should at least admit responsibility for the accident and strive to improve the pavements in Alton to help prevent similar falls. He has already expressed gratitude towards the ladies who had rushed to his aid, summonsing an ambulance and recovering his veterans' blazer and medals from the supermarket where he had been collecting. He is now appealing to those same ladies to support him in his criticism of the state of the pavement and in particular of the stone which caused his fall. He can be reached on 02392 816295 "I feel obliged to make this appeal because continued resistance has been met with concerning the injury claim made days after the incident," said Mr Gilbert. He believes that "administrative directives have overridden common sense and fair play". Norman Gilbert was a member of the 24th Beach Signals during World War II and spent D-Day travelling up and down the English Channel sending out false radio signals in a bid to confuse the enemy. A telegraphist who joined the Home Guard at the age of 16, the young Mr Gilbert was called up in September 1943 to serve in the Royal Signals Corps at Arromanches. In the Army from the age of 18 to 23, Mr Gilbert finished his war as part of the occupation force in Japan. On leaving the army he later worked for BT. l Hampshire County Council felt unable to comment on the case, other than to confirm that it had denied liability and was continuing to correspond with Mr Gilbert's solicitors.
