News:Pensioner Trapped in Pothole
From Bolton Interweb
Vic Sinhala, Bolton Correspondent, 27th February 2010
With Bolton Council's appalling history of road repair and the snow and ice we experienced in December and January it is only a matter of time before a real tragedy occurs. In Little Lever time was very nearly up last Thursday when 86-year-old widow Winnie le Pugh left home at 11:30 in the morning for her regular trip into town to meet up with friends and go round the banks and building societies during lunchtime picking up forms, updating pass books, and asking long and tedious questions about the best interest savings account for regular savers with a pound a week to put aside, all with their hearing aids turned off. But last Thursday Mrs le Pugh didn't turn up at the usual rendezvous outside Lloyds in Hotel Street. Her friends, Minnie Breake and Daisy Chane raised the alarm. Mrs Chane told us that she called Mrs Le Pugh's fiance, 28-year-old Lee Vitout, who confirmed that Winnie had left for the bus stop on time but said he was at a critical point in his Medal of Honor game and had to go.
In the meantime Mrs Breake contacted the police but they were unable to do anything as old people often get on the wrong bus and turn up at home a week or so later when they remember who they are and where they live. Greggs the Bakers were also unable to help, explaining they were a bakers not a mountain rescue service, though they did offer a cardboard cup of soup at half price.
In the end Minnie and Daisy rounded up a dozen or so of their lunch club members from the Halifax and NatWest and headed off to try and retrace Winnie's route. Having reached Winnie's home in Little Lever the search was initially delayed whilst they waited for the Fire Brigade to attend. Unfortunately one of the searchers, 103-year-old Lily O'Vallie had chained herself to some railings with a placard reading "Votes for Women", and couldn't be convinced that women had already been given the vote some years ago. Some hours, several hundred yards, and two broken zimmer frames later, one of the party turned on their hearing aid and heard a cry that seemed to be coming from the middle of the road. Approaching with care, and leaning carefully over the edge, sure enough there was Mrs Le Pugh at the bottom of the pothole. Using a winch attached to a zimmer frame with casters the group managed to haul Mrs Le Pugh out of the hole, and after making sure she only had a broken hip, took her home so she could make fiance Lee's tea before the ambulance arrived.
Fortunately, this time, it will only be a six month spell in hospital. Next time it could be worse. When asked for a comment, Bolton Council spokesperson Maria Zagraniczny explained that she didn't speak English yet but was taking courses and would be able to give us a no comment towards the end of April when she had been certified. A council insider told us off the record that they could not fix the potholes due to health and safety reasons. Apparently, following the loss of an entire gang of workmen in Breightmet last year, it is now mandatory to carry out an H&S risk assessment before approaching any pothole, and the risk assessor, Joe Kerr, has been off sick since last November following a serious paper cut he had not anticipated.
© Evrose, 2011
