High Road Pavement Vigilante Threatened with Fine
Stephen Curtis had marked out hazard that caused him to trip
Stephen Curtis at the spot where he fell which has now been fenced off
October 1, 2023
On Tuesday 19 September, Stephen Curtis was walking along Chiswick High Road near the junction with Dukes Avenue when he tripped and fell on an uneven pavement.
He fell and hit his head, shoulder and hip and, as well, abraded various fingers and a week later was still suffering from pain in his ribs and shoulder.
In order to prevent the same mishap happening to someone else, a few days afterwards he set off with a can of white paint to mark out the offending paving stone and a camera to make a report. While there he noticed a similarly dangerous sunken cover plate.
While he was undertaking this task he was interrupted. As he relates, “I was then in for a surprise. I had just completed my tasks when a Hounslow Enforcement Officer, who miraculously was driving by, popped up and told me about the offence I had committed - painting the pavement! He was determined to log an offence, despite my rational explanations about marking the problems so that others could avoid them. He proceeded to ask me questions, blah, blah. In the meantime, his smart van was badly parked on a yellow line at a narrow part of the High Road. I await a prison sentence!!”
The enforcement van parked up to report Mr Curtis
On his return he logged a report with Hounslow Highway online at 1pm. To his astonishment by 6pm action had been taken on the issues he raised.
The defects were cordoned off with barriers; the sunken water access cover had been removed together with surrounding concrete/pavers and a brand new cast iron enclosure had been set in position.
Mr Curtis said, “I have received an excellent email from Hounslow Highways informing me of the action they are taking.
“All credit to Hounslow Highways - the less said about Hounslow Enforcement the better.”
The offending pavement and access over marked off by Mr Curtis
It is not known how much Hounslow Council pays out each year in compensation to people who injure themselves by tripping on unsafe pavements, but figures were published in 2005 which showed the amount in total was over £3,000,000. By 2009, more data was release showing that the cost to the council had been over £800,000 over the previous three years.
As for any potential fine for Mr Curtis’s ‘offence’, nothing more has been heard. We contacted Hounslow Council to ask for an update and what its attitude in general was to public spirited citizens who acted in this way, but no response has been received so far.
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