PENSIONERS in Sherston are demanding repairs to pavements after a series of accidents have left elderly people injured in the last six months.

Sherston Seniors Club has branded the pavements around the High Street, Silver Street, Cliff Road and Court Street dangerous, and has collected an 87-signature petition to show the strength of feeling in the village.

The club sent the petition to Wiltshire County Council last month demanding urgent action.

Club secretary June Bremner said a number of elderly people have had bad falls.

In one of the most serious incidents a pensioner, who has not been named, was left with cracked ribs, and injuries to her wrist, knees and toes after she fell over a hole in the pavement outside the solicitors' office of Ouvry Creed and Co, in the High Street last September.

Mrs Bremner said the woman, who was traumatised and had to have medication after the fall, has also complained to the council.

Although the hole was repaired soon after the accident, Mrs Bremner said other pavements in the village were in a very bad state.

She said she was left speechless when a council officer who inspected the pavements in the village last month, declared them acceptable.

"That made me angry," she said.

"I can't believe the council could consider the pavements acceptable when they are a danger not just to the elderly but also young children who could trip up and injure themselves."

Sherston Parish Council wrote to the county council to complain about the state of the pavements last August, after another fall outside the post office left an elderly woman injured.

A spokesman for Wiltshire County Council said there are no proposals to resurface any footpaths in Sherston, and said any serious defects would be dealt with in the course of routine maintenance. He said resurfacing had to be carried out across the county and was subject to budget restrictions.

He said the surface of pavements in the centre of Sherston are subject to one and three-monthly safety inspections.

Joyce Geede, 68, of Easton Town, said: "We are not like the young ones who can get well very quickly. It can be the beginning of the end when old folks have accidents."

Sherston pensioner Gwen Mason, 80, whose husband is partially-sighted, said she felt unsafe walking in the village. "There are some parts of the pavement which are very rough. They always seem to be digging up the road and it doesn't seem to be getting better," she said.

Mrs Bremner said she and the people who signed the petition wanted something to happen soon before someone had a serious fall.

She said: "This has been going on for years. It is especially bad on the High Street where cars have to park on the pavement because there is nowhere else to park. Elderly people have to get round the cars which makes it very unsafe on the pavements, and just makes the whole problem worse."

The issue was discussed at a meeting of the county council's regulatory committee yesterday.

County councillor John Thomson said: "I feel disappointed by June Bremner.

"We have been working together with the parish council and not only looking at issues on the High Street but we are also in the design process for Court Street.

"The county council have limited resources and we are working together to get things done."

Vice-chairman of Sherston Parish Council, Martin Rea, said: "As soon as we heard there was a problem last August we brought it to the attention of the county council which is resurfacing the High Street. People with concerns should call CLARENCE on 0800 232323."

The county council resurfaced Court Street in 2002 and aims to resurface High Street, Silver Street, Swan Barton and Cliff Road in 2003-04, but pavements are not included in the plan.

cramos@newswilts.co.uk