FAULTY crossings and low pavements in Melksham town centre are making a blind woman's life a misery.

Heather Tucker, 41, said she is becoming too scared to go into the town centre because she worries about being knocked down.

A pedestrian crossing in Church Street has been broken for weeks leaving blind shoppers unable to gauge when to cross the busy road.

Miss Tucker, who lives in Hampshire Place with her partially blind 84-year-old mother, said crossing the road has become a dangerous gamble.

In a recent incident a car ran over and broke the tip of Miss Tucker's cane as she tried to cross a town centre road.

She said: "I have a lot of trouble. Often I am unsure if I am on the road or on the pavement.

"In the Church Street crossing there is supposed to be a turning screw to let us know when to cross it has been broken for ages.

"Other crossings hardly make any noise at all and low pavements are a hazard.

"I am worried. The trouble is I remember how Melksham used to be and I tend to go by memory. Now there are often lamp posts in the middle of the pavements which I keep walking into."

Miss Tucker started losing her sight ten years ago. She is now completely blind in both eyes but still attends Moorfields Eye Hospital in London and hopes surgeons will one day be able to restore her vision.

A Wiltshire County Council, spokesman said the crossing was reported as faulty and engineers have been asked to fix it.

He said: "Engineers went out to investigate and a new part has been ordered. As soon as we get it, it will be fixed.

"We do try to get round to these things as quickly as possible."