A Perth mum is spending Christmas in a moonboot after breaking her ankle on a frozen city centre pavement last Saturday.
Earlier this week the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported concerns over untreated pavements in Perth city centre on the last full shopping weekend before Christmas.
On Saturday afternoon Claire Bennett stopped traffic when she fell over on the Queen’s Bridge where the pavements were sheets of ice.
Unable to get up, kind-hearted motorists stopped their cars to come to her aid as well as another pedestrian who was also braving the treacherous conditions.
Thought it would be safer to walk
Mum-of-two Claire was making her way home from town at around 3.30pm.
She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I had decided not to take the car because I thought it would be safer to walk.”
But as it turned out the roads seemed safer than the pavements.
Claire said: “I was on my way home. Tay Street was fine but Queen’s Bridge was terrible. Neither pavement had been cleared. I was clinging on to the railing.
“I saw one gritter out but no mini gritters on the pavements.”
Broken fibula confirmed
When Claire fell at least two motorists stopped their cars and another pedestrian came to help.
Claire added: “This lovely couple I didn’t even know – Drew and his wife – drove me home.
“I’ve got an eight-month-old and a two-year-old so my husband was home with them. I had to get my sister to come up from Kirkcaldy to take me to A&E.”
Medical staff at PRI confirmed Claire had broken her left fibula and will now spend Christmas in a moonboot.
Snow ‘difficult to remove’
According to Perth and Kinross Council, crews had been out working on the pavements on Queen’s Bridge and across Perth but said frozen impacted snow was “difficult to remove”.
A spokesperson said: “Our footway crews were out all weekend to clear roads and footpaths in Perth as much as possible and this included both city centre bridges.
“However, when snow falls onto frozen surfaces – as happened last week – it is difficult to remove as small tractor ploughs are only effective on fresh, wet snow.
“Salt was put down each day on priority footpaths and non-priority routes were treated when possible.
“We also put extra resources into the city centre on Saturday and had additional crews working to clear crossing spots.
“We cannot – unfortunately – keep all roads and footways free of ice and snow at all times and particularly not when there are sustained, severe weather conditions.”
