FOOTPATH FURY

There were calls for councils to have a more co-ordinated approach to gritting footpaths, which on Monday, were still very icy.

A woman broke an ankle after a tumble in the High Street area of Ballymoney and a man suffered injuries to his pelvis after a slip in the Greenville Avenue area of the town.

Elsewhere, an ambulance got stuck on a call out at Chestnutt Grove in Ballymoney, and a police vehicle also got into difficulties during the incident at 10.45pm on Sunday.

As temperatures plummeted as low as minus-11 over the Christmas period, many householders in various parts of north Antrim, including Bushmills and Armoy, suffered water leaks as the frost bit into pipework.

And snowball gangs were also in action. A gritter was damaged in the Loughgiel area on Sunday December 20, which, according to police, had Roads Service considering withdrawing their services.

Inspector David Anderson of Ballymoney PSNI, said they received several reports from the public about the state of footpaths and roads.

Main roads were being gritted but side roads in the town and in country areas were left untreated.

Doreen Brown of Richmond Crescent, Ballymoney, said people were virtually trapped in their own homes because of icy hills.

She told the Times: "I live at the bottom of Richmond Crescent which is more less downhill the whole way from Greenville Avenue.

"I have for some time complained to both the Council and Roads Service about the lack of road salt and bin for us to cope with freezing conditions.

"I have extreme problems getting into and mainly out of my home to go about my daily business. I feel at the very least that there should be a salt bin supplied and sited at the bottom of Richmond Crescent.

"I have asked both statutory bodies to try and sort this out but to no avail. I am not the only one with this problem, the rest of the residents at my end have the same difficulty.

"It is only a matter of time until someone is hurt, or worse, killed by vehicles sliding out of control.

"I know the weather has been exceptional but we have this problem all the time when it is freezing.

"I am so frustrated with the lack of willingness of both Council and Roads Service," she added.

Ballymoney's 'Black Santa' Liam Beckett, sat out at High Street in Ballymoney for several days before Christmas and he witnessed many people slipping and sliding.

"The streets were like an ice rink. It was treacherous and I think it was a disgrace that something wasn't done with the footpaths," he said.

North Antrim DUP MLA Mervyn Storey is to have discussions with Road Service, the Chamber of Commerce and Ballymoney Council after being inundated with complaints about the condition of the footpaths in Ballymoney following the heavy snow.

Mr Storey said: "I have not been so inundated with complaints as I have over the last few days, regarding the condition of the footpaths in Ballymoney.

"The number of people who have been injured is clear evidence of just how serious this situation is. What has been so frustrating is that no one will take responsibility for dealing with the snow and ice on the footpaths.

"Neither the Road Service, Council or any individual trader will do what has to be done and ensure that the footpaths are clear and safe to walk on.

"I was not at all satisfied with the explanations that I got from the various agencies when I contacted them. It is just not good enough that everyone washes their hands of this problem and like the snow, hope that it goes away. Evidently this did not happen and the snow then froze leaving the footpaths in a very dangerous condition.

"With people injured and in hospital, something has to be done, especially as this does not seem to be a problem in any of our neighbouring towns such as Coleraine or Ballymena.

"The question that I have already asked the Chief Executive of Ballymoney Council to ask is how is it that it is not a problem in those towns and who takes responsibility to deal with the footpaths in such conditions.

"Is it not ironic that just a few days ago we all, Roads Service, DSD, Council and traders were welcoming the opening of the improvement scheme on Main Street and the work that was done on the footpaths, now no one wants anything to do with keeping them clear from ice and snow.

"That is why I am asking the Chief Executive of the Council to convene a meeting with all those concerned about this situation, so that we can put in place some measures to ensure this problem is dealt with."

It is understood that in places like America householders and shopkeepers are asked to clear snow from the footpath outside their premises but in Ballymoney this week one trader claimed that if the shopkeepers touched the snow outside their shops they would be liable for any accidents that might happen there.

Meanwhile, the weather was being blamed for the water supply being cut off to many householders in north Antrim in recent days.

Bushmills, Ballycastle and Armoy were among the areas affected.

Northern Ireland Water said there had been a big increase in calls from householders suffering from burst pipes because of the freezing weather.

It said homeowners were responsible for the pipe work within their own property.

It also requested that customers check any vacant or isolated properties for leaks.

A NI Water spokesperson said: "Due to the recent prolonged winter freeze and sub-zero temperatures, Northern Ireland Water is experiencing an increase in the number of burst water mains and increased flows from a number of service reservoirs across the province.

"High outlet flows are often an indicator of burst watermains in the downstream network.

"We are also experiencing an increased demand on outlet flows from a number of service reservoirs.

"This is partly due to bursts within the water distribution network, but also because some customers are running taps in the belief that this will prevent freezing. NI Water would urge customers not to run taps unnecessarily."

One man said water went off just as families were preparing dinner on Sunday afternoon.

He said: "The frustrating thing was that nobody responded to telephone enquiries from customers wondering what they could do."