A pensioner was left badly bruised after falling over a loose paving slab – one day after her friend had reported “shoddy repair work” to Islington Council.

Islington Gazette: One of the 'shoddy' repairs in Thornhill Crescent. (Picture: Richard Plumb).One of the 'shoddy' repairs in Thornhill Crescent. (Picture: Richard Plumb). (Image: Archant)

Tamara Lo, 78, was walking to Islington Farmer’s Market with friends earlier this month when she fell in Cloudesley Road, narrowly avoiding hitting her head on a brick wall.

She told the Gazette: “I’m 78. I don’t go storming around. But I went absolutely ‘splat’. I was really scared that I had done something inside my head and it was only after I had a scan at the hospital that I felt better.

“The noise was like 25 eggshells cracking. I was quite lucky – I only needed three stitches. I wasn’t even in an enormous amount of pain, but my left eye was completely closed for two days.”

The day before Tamara fell, Richard Plumb, fellow member of the Friends of Barnsbury Square group, had complained to the council about the repair work being carried out on the area’s pavements.

He had seen a van driving around with three men in, with just one getting out to do a quick fix of the footpaths.

“The thing that gets me,” said Tamara, “is that other people could fall. Actually, no. I could fall again.

“If what happened to me can get the council moving a bit and nothing worse can happen to somebody again, then three cheers.

“If there was any possibility of getting compensation I would put it towards our next party. It’s not as if I have lost money. I don’t work – I can still walk my dog and do the washing up.”

Environment boss Cllr Claudia Webbe said more work would be done around street trees where roots had caused problems, but in the meantime asphalt would be used for temporary repairs.

She added: “I was concerned to hear about Mrs Lo’s fall and alarmed by the photograph presented. I hope she recovers to full health soon.

“We fully investigate any accidents reported to us. The recent pavement works in the area have been checked and a few locations have been revisited.”