‘Lack of gritting’ criticised after spate of falls

A PENSIONER has blasted council gritting services after his wife fell down icy concrete steps.

Philip and Ann Mayall were heading to the shops from their sheltered housing accommodation on Fleming Gardens South when Ann slipped.

Philip, 74, said: “It’s really ridiculous, it’s absolutely covered in ice. She was going down the steps to get to the taxi – there’s so much ice on the steps and she just went down.”

He said his 78-year-old wife, who already suffers from chronic pain and arthritis, is now suffering with “a lot worse” pain in her hip and leg.

Philip contacted Dundee City Council to report the incident but claims he was told the local authority did not have enough manpower or resources to grit all the steps.

He added: “In this weather they should have. The steps are dangerous.

“There are about 16 steps in that close. They should have been gritted, especially for pensioners – there are a few pensioners around here.”

The Mayalls are among many people claiming they have been left to cope with treacherous icy pavements in Dundee after the temperatures fell below zero.

Susan Parfitt’s 73-year-old mother Divina fell on the pavement outside her house on Turnberry Avenue after coming back from the shops on McAlpine Road.

Susan said: “Most of the paths between the shops and her house haven’t been gritted. Under her kitchen window it’s like an ice rink.

“One of my mum’s neighbours had to help her up. She is a bit shaken. The person who picked her up was going to call an ambulance but she didn’t want that.”

Susan phoned the council to let them know about the incident and said she was told they would inform the gritters.

However, she later saw a gritter only covering the main street and not the cul de sac or paths.

Meanwhile, the ground outside garages on the street was “like an ice rink” Susan said, and claimed the grit being used “was not strong enough”.

“None of the paths by any of the bungalows have been touched,” she said.

“There are going to be bairns having accidents.”

Strathmartine councillor Kevin Keenan said he had received several calls about ice on pavements across his ward.

“A few have reported that their falls have led to a visit to A&E for treatment,” he said.

“Given that we need to keep the hospitals clear to deal with the increasing levels of Covid19 patients, we should consider a more frequent gritting regime across the northern and colder areas of the city in the hope of keeping the pavements safe.”

The city council said its entire gritting fleet was out in full force on Tuesday after a sharp overnight frost.

However, hundreds of people demanded to know where they were because they claimed pavements and side streets were still treacherous.

Shona Gauntlett said: “They weren’t in Lochee.

“Pentland Avenue/Crescent/ City Road and Tullideph Road were an absolute death trap and our grit bin is now empty.”

Marilyn McGregor said: “The pavements were like ice rinks in Carmichael Street, Strathmore Avenue and Brantwood.

“Exactly where were they gritting? I mentioned to my husband that any elderly person would never manage to walk on the pavements. “

Helen Breen said: “Out in full force where exactly? I walked from Happyhillock to Claypotts, then later from the city centre to Magdalen Green and along