Hole in pavement left uncovered for hours at Cargenbridge

Aug 15 2008 by Iain Pollock, Dumfries Standard Friday

A GAPING hole in a pavement was left uncovered for “three hours” after being reported by a concerned householder.

Pensioner Bill Wilson contacted the council and police after the dangerous opening appeared outside his Cargenbridge home.

But nothing was done to cover it up until a councillor arrived and took matters into his own hands.

Mike Thomson dashed off to get a sheet of plywood and a bollard to make the area safe shortly after 7pm on Tuesday.

It then took a further two hours and visits by a police car and a council van before the pavement was cordoned off by a BT worker.

Mr Wilson, aged 66, said: “I reported it to police at 4.09pm according to my mobile and it was 7.15pm before the council arrived. They had a look, did not get out of the van and drove off.

“Then about five to eight the police arrived and they had a look but didn’t get out of their car and drove away. At about 20 past nine a BT outreach worker appeared and put a weak fence round the hole.

“If someone had come down there in the dark they would have disappeared right into it. I could not do anything because I’m in a wheelchair.”

He added: “I had to get my councillor to take action because I could not get the authorities to get off their backsides. I’m really upset about that. Surely safety should come first. It was left to Mike to go away to his yard and get a bollard and a cone to make it safe three hours after I put the report in to police.”

Councillor Thomson admits he was “disappointed” by the council response. He said: “On my second visit I took a cone and some plywood to put over it. The police phoned and just at that the council van pulled up and pulled away again.

“I felt he could have examined the situation to see if the sticking plaster that I had put there, ie the bit of plywood, was safe. The gap was wide and it was a good metre deep. It was something a kid could have disappeared into.”

He added: “I’m disappointed for Mr Wilson because he did the right thing and the system let him down. It was a hazard where someone could hurt themselves.”

Mr Thomson plans to take up the matter with council officials.

Councillor Ian Blake was also phoned by Mr Wilson and contacted both the council and police to investigate.

A police spokesman said they had been alerted to the problem and notified the council.

He added: “We did take a look at it and informed the council a second time that it needed to be fixed.”

A council spokesman said: “When the call was received, council roadworkers were deployed mending potholes on the A75. They were then dispatched to Beeswing to deal with flooding.

“At the first opportunity, on the way back from Beeswing, a roadworker went to Cargenbridge. On arrival, it was clear that the hole had a temporary cover with a cone marking it. It was also obvious that the hole was the responsibility of BT, who were informed of the situation by the council. BT then arranged for barriers to be put around the site.”