A DISABLED resident who fears her neighbours are going to suffer a serious injury because of poor pavements and lighting has called for the county council to make improvements.

Melanie Harris, 44, of Plumleys, Pitsea, has urged Essex County Council to invest cash into uneven pavements and unreliable lighting on the road.

The ward’s Labour councillor Gavin Callaghan joined with the call, and claims he has witnessed residents falling over on the unkempt walkways.

Ms Harris, who suffers from osteoarthritis said: “If someone falls over and badly hurts themselves, the council will have to pay out a fortune, so it makes sense for them to just pay out on the improvements.

“I’ve fallen over a couple of times, but thankfully none of them have been serious.

“But a lot of the residents around here are elderly or disabled, you see them regularly fighting with their walkers when on the pavements.”

Mr Callaghan has argued that the county council should have enough money in its transport coffers to make the improvements.

He added: “The pavements and lighting on the Plumleys estate has been a long running issue for Essex County Council that they have never adequately addressed.

“Many residents have tripped on the pavements and disabled residents tell me that they are skeptical of venturing out after dark for fear that they will fall over and hurt themselves on the uneven ground.

“I have even seen firsthand disabled residents hospitalised after nasty falls.”

The county council did not respond to Mr Callaghan’s calls.