Legal action after man injured on Bridgnorth steps

Stephen Harrison, 67, said the steps at West Quay in Bridgnorth, which lead to the public car park behind the Black Horse pub, are “not fit for purpose”.

Mr Harrison claims to have fallen while walking down the steps after catching his foot in a crack.

“I hit the back of my head,” he said.

“I can remember a little bit about it. I must have slid down the stairs, because my son had to come after me.

“I was transferred from Bridgnorth Minor Injury Unit to Telford A&E and then on to Shrewsbury surgical observation. They found I had a bleed on the brain.

“I believe these steps could be repaired for as little as £2,500, but I’ve been told the steps are of historical interest. This is human life and wellbeing – it always has to come before history.”

“The council has a care of duty to the public. They could be repaired, but if they’re of such historical interest that they can’t be repaired, they should be put in a glass case so that people don’t have to use them. This is not acceptable.”

Since his accident, Mr Harrison said that others have come to him about having slipped in the same area.

He said: “When I was there last, a man came down using these stairs who had two walking sticks. If he’d fallen, he could have died.

“I’ve got permanent post-concussion syndrome. I feel if they can do that to me, they’re quite capable of killing somebody. I don’t want that happening to anyone because they can’t be bothered to repair them.”

Mr Harrison said that since his fall, he has met other people who’ve had similar incidents on both the West Quay steps and the Bridgnorth Theatre steps.

“The steps up past the theatre are of a similar construction and are approximately 200 years old,” he said. I don’t think they’ve ever been repaired. They’ve been worn down to about a 45 degree angle.”

A Shropshire Council spokesperson said:“We never comment on individual cases.

"However, there are numerous historical features across Shropshire which form part of the adopted highway. These are maintained by the council.

“All of these, including the historical features such as the numerous sets of steps in Bridgnorth, are inspected for safety defects on a regular basis. Any identified defect is repaired in a timely fashion.”

To see the petition visit you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/close-these-steps-before-someone-is-killed

Earlier this year, MP Philip Dunne joined the campaign to make the path outside the Queensway Shops, also in Bridgnorth, safer.

The campaign was started by Town Councillor Carol Whittle after a local man, Roger Taggart, died months after tripping on the steps because of complications from breaking his hip and pelvis.