A popular great-grandmother died after tripping over an uneven paving slab she had been campaigning to get repaired.
Moira Farnell, 79, suffered a bleed on the brain, caused by the impact of the fall, having tripped outside her home in Water Eaton, Milton Keynes. The pensioner had contacted Milton Keynes City Council repeatedly to report that the pavement outside her home was a trip hazard for pedestrians, her family says.
And she had constantly told her son Jason, and her husband: "That pavement will be the death of me." Her family said Moira told officials at the council the roots of a large tree planted more than 50 years ago had lifted the paving slabs, causing one of them, in particular, to stick up at an angle. The tree was never trimmed back despite Moira's pleas, the pensioner's relatives said.
Earlier this month, Moira left her house to visit Tesco, but stumbled over the jutting slab and fell forward, hitting her head hard on the pavement.
Photographs show the uneven pavement on the pensioner's estate in Water Eaton (HNP Picture Desk/Hyde News & Pictures Ltd)Jason said: "It was horrible but at first we thought she would be okay. But then suddenly she started getting confused and saying odd things. It was obvious that something was wrong."
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The great-grandma was dashed to the hospital, where she had scans, but the bleeding deteriorated. Jason continued: "The bleed was getting worse and worse. The doctors did what they could. They even talked about an operation to relieve the pressure on her brain. We never left her side. We stayed with her, holding her hand. She was scared."
Eventually, the family had to make a heartbreaking decision - for her to have the operation and face the fact that she would be brain-damaged for the rest of her life, or do nothing and let her die.
"Mum was so full of life. Everyone on the estate knew her and she cared about everyone and talked to everyone. We knew we would never get the old mum back again - and she would hate being disabled," said Jason.
The family said that Moira eventually slipped peacefully away, leaving her husband, two children, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren distressed beyond words. Her death certificate states that she died of a head injury as a result of an accidental fall.
Moira had argued the paving was a trip hazard for pedestrians (HNP Picture Desk/Hyde News & Pictures Ltd)"We cannot come to terms with the fact that the paving slab she tried so hard to get repaired ended up causing her to die. Her words about it being the death of her came horribly true," said her son.
He and the rest of the family are now determined that Mrs Farnell's legacy will be that the pavement is fixed and the tree trimmed back.
"She wouldn't want the tree killed. However, the roots are doing terrible damage under the ground - they're even causing a nearby wall to lean," he said.
"The path is a main route through the Lakes estate, used by lots of pensioners from nearby OAP housing and also children on their way to school. Mum always worried that a child would trip and get hurt...She loved all the little ones and was always thinking about other people."
Neighbours, also reeling from the tragedy, have reportedly contacted the council on the family's behalf. One said: "We have lost one of our valued residents and we don't want this to happen to anyone else."
As a result, the council last week sent a highways inspector to scrutinise the area. They have now emailed the neighbours with their verdict - which was, incredibly, that no action at all would be taken.
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The email states: "A highways inspector has visited the location you reported to us and has carried out a full assessment of the footway here.
"Our highways inspectors are trained to inspect all highways assets and assess them in line with our code of practice... The site assessment did not find an issue that met with our criteria for immediate repair or replacement as per the code of practice."
It adds: "However, we will continue to carry out our regular highway inspections here and if the asset deteriorates, we will carry out any necessary actions as per our codes of practice.
"In addition to the highways inspector site visit, senior landscaping officers also visited the site to review the tree... Our landscaping officer carried out an assessment and found no issues with this tree, stating that it is in good health and the roots were causing no concern. The landscaping team will monitor the tree as part of their scheduled inspections."
Mrs Farnell's son said: "We just can't believe it. How can the council not do anything? We are determined to fight until mum's last wish is granted and this problem is fixed."
Highway inspectors measure uneven paving and will only authorise repairs if it juts out by a certain number of millimetres. It is understood the slab that tripped Mrs Farnell was two or three millimetres under the criteria.
Moira was one of the first tenants to move onto the estate 50 years ago, coming from the East End of London, and was widely loved and respected by the community.
A spokesperson for Milton Keynes City Council said: "We're very sorry to hear about the death of Mrs Farnell and our sympathies are with her family and friends. We'll continue to monitor the footpath here and will keep local residents informed about any work that may take place."
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