A PENSIONER who broke both her arms, cut her face and smashed her knees after falling on a wobbly pavement has demanded the council fix the borough’s crumbling walkways before more elderly people are hurt.

Cynthia Saggers, 75, suffered the terrible injuries while walking along in Cambridge Park Road in Wanstead last autumn, but is still suffering months on.

News of her ordeal comes a week after the Guardian reported new figures which show one in three pavements in Redbridge are in urgent need of repair - one of the highest proportions in London.

Mrs Saggers said the accident had robbed her of her independence.

She told the Guardian: “I’m not doddery and I’m a mobile person - before my fall I used to play bowls twice a week at Woodford Wells and look after my ill daughter-in-law.

“But the fall was so painful and my injuries were really bad. There was glass all over the pavement so I cut my face, and both my arms had to be put a cast for nine weeks - I couldn’t wash myself, eat, or do anything.

“I’m still suffering now. My arms are very weak and I still need help.”

As Mrs Saggers found herself needing constant care, she desperately tried to get compensation - but had her requests turned down by the council because they said the gap in the height between paving slabs was too small.

But letters from the council's insurers show discrepancies in its version of events - one document says the gap was 25mm but another says it was 12.5mm.

Mrs Saggers also claims a council officer told her the pavement was wobbly because many of Redbridge’s pavements had been built on sand, which allows slabs to move around easily.

The walkway has since been fixed.

But a defiant Mrs Saggers added: “All the elderly people I know are worried about our pavements. It was so dangerous - it shouldn’t have taken a fall like mine for them to fix it.”

A council spokeswoman said: "We have now received an email from Zurich Municipal confirming they have reviewed their file, and it is clear that an error was made on the measurements, however it does not change the outcome of this claim.

"They will be sending a letter of apology for the error to the resident concerned."

Redbridge Council also dispute the claim that one in three pavements need repair, saying the newly-released figures are based on two-year-old data.

Have you been injured falling on a pavement in Wanstead and Woodford? Contact the newsdesk on 8498 3437 or via email at dbinns@london.newsquest.co.uk.