A mother is demanding compensation after she was left “unable to leave her home” when she tripped over a manhole cover and cut her face.

Sharon Harford was left with a bloody nose and bruises after tripping over while on the way to her mother’s house in Cheviot Close, Bushey, at around 6pm on January 8.

The 55-year-old chose did not go to hospital. Instead, she put a cotton wool pad under her glasses to soak up the blood.

Watford Observer:

“A neighbour helped me into my mother’s home,” she said.

“I want to claim something because there’s blood over her carpet, which is difficult to get out.”

She says she is now “struggling” to lift her arms.

Watford Observer:

Ms Harford says this is the “last straw” after repeated calls to fix potholes and pavements have so far not been listened to.

The 55-year-old, who has lived in Bushey all her life, measured the manhole cover and says it has risen an inch and a half above the surrounding pavement.

She said she has never seen the broken cover before.

She added: ”Wherever I walk I have to walk with my head down just to see where I am stepping.

“My 19-year-old son has tripped over before and I have elderly neighbours with walking frames who are forced to walk on the road because of the state of the pavements.

“It’s just awful.”

Watford Observer:

Watford Observer:

She says she would like compensation because she believes if the council had listened to previous complaints, her trip could have been avoided.

“Neighbours have told me that they have seen workers looking at these holes before but nothing has come from it.

A Hertfordshire County Council spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear of this incident and we wish Mrs Harford a speedy recovery.

"We were not aware of the issue with the manhole cover and pavement in the area until she reported it to us.

"Our contractor Ringway will make repairs to the footway around the manhole, over the coming week.

"We would like to reassure residents that their welfare is of paramount importance to us and would encourage them to use our fault reporting system online if they spot any areas they think may be dangerous.

"We carry out regular inspections to ensure the safety of our roads and footpaths.

"We cannot comment on individual compensation claims.”