An appeal to end “needless suffering” and fix pavements in Stowmarket has been made, after a shopkeeper witnessed an elderly man fall and suffer nasty injuries.
According to Edelweiss flower shop owner Isabel Wilton, there have been more than 20 falls in around 15 years outside her shop alone.
Older people are tripping on uneven and broken paving and severely injuring themselves, often requiring emergency treatment at hospital and in the worst cases breaking hips and other bones.
On Thursday, Mrs Wilton witnessed another fall with a man in his 80s tripping and suffering facial injuries.
“I have had enough of this needless suffering,” she said. “We have treated and helped far too many people who have fallen down.
“One lady broke her hip and was taken to hospital, and it was completely needless.”
An ambulance was called to Thursday’s fall, with the man treated for his injuries and taken to West Suffolk Hospital.
An East of England Ambulance Service spokesman confirmed he did not suffer any life changing or life threatening injuries.
“Yet again there is blood on the pavement outside our shop and a poor man has been hurt,” said Mrs Wilton.
“We have so many of these over the years and enough is enough, it causes so much unnecessary suffering.
“I reported the pavement to the council last week, nothing was done about it and now a man has been hurt.”
Edelweiss recently moved from one side of Market Place to the shop opposite.
Mrs Wilton said: “In the last 16 years I have seen more than 20 falls outside our shop. The elderly people are so vulnerable and these falls sometimes cause really severe injuries.”
Mrs Wilton said she was “fed up” of acting like an A&E after people injured themselves.
“We do everything we can to help, of course we do, but it just should not be happening. The council should be repairing pavements and keeping people safe,” she said.
A spokesman for Suffolk County Council said there is now a barrier in place around the broken pavement area and that the area is under review and will be subject to return visits. There will be a permanent repair within 20 days.
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