Hayling Island pothole plea after mobility scooter user is left with stitches

Disabled Andy Lipton, of Ferry Road, Hayling Island, claims he was left with eight stitches in his head after his scooter tipped when it became lodged in a pothole along the coastal path.

The accident, causing £800 of damage to his mobility scooter, happened when the 61-year-old moved off the road surface on to bumpy ground to allow a car to pass him as the road has no pavement.

And as Andy, who does not drive, is forced to face the same journey that left him bloodied almost daily, he says enough is enough – urging road repairs or the introduction of a bus service nearby.

Mr Lipton said: ‘There is no bus for one-and-a-half miles from my home, so my mobility scooter is the only way I can get out to do my shopping in West Town – I am forced to risk life and limb.

‘I’m a firm believer cars should have priority over a scooter, so when there’s more than one behind me I make sure I move aside to let them go past – they don’t want to be stuck behind me waiting.

‘That’s when I have to go through these dangerous potholes. And when I finally got hurt from doing that, I looked like I’d just done 10 rounds with Frank Bruno.

‘It made me absolutely sure something had to change.’

Losing feeling in the left side of his body after suffering a brain haemorrhage six years ago, Andy, who lives alone, said he ‘would not feel safe’ ditching his scooter and getting behind the wheel.

For that reason, he wants his journey made safer – with the idea of moving elsewhere a ‘last resort’. He added: ‘Why should I have to pay to get taxis everywhere when I already fork out council tax?

‘In an ideal world a proper bus service would come down here, but at the very least, I am keen to see these potholes filled in.’

Responding to Mr Lipton, Hampshire County Council’s transport boss, Rob Humby, said his team was repairing regional roads ‘every day’.

He said: ‘I am pleased to report that Ferry Road is included in a current countywide programme of work to address roads damaged by the snow and ice Hampshire experienced earlier in the year.

‘While there are no current plans to undertake major changes to the road design, due to challenges relating to land availability adjacent to the road, we will continue to monitor the situation, and will advise residents should the situation change.’