WALTHAMSTOW: Pensioners left 'trapped' by freezing weather (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

WALTHAMSTOW: Pensioners left 'trapped' by freezing weather

8:22am Monday 21st December 2009 in

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ELDERLY people were left trapped in their homes in parts of the borough over the weekend after the freezing weather left several streets too slippery to use.

Dozens of pensioners living near Wood Street were forced to stay inside after roads and pavements became covered in black ice in the sub-zero temperatures.

Critics say the problem was made worse because the council did not grit pavements in some residential streets, such as Greenway Avenue, The Risings and Morgan Avenue - leaving them practically unusable for many elderly residents.

An 81-year-old woman in Upper Walthamstow Road, who did not want to be named, was unable to walk to the shops in Wood Street because of the conditions - and had to call a friend to pick her up in a car to take her to church on Sunday.

She said: "It was like this round here during the snow earlier this year.

"We're on top of a hill here, so it's often worse for ice in these roads.

"The council gritted the main roads, but seemed to leave the side streets. Lots of the pavements are covered in black ice.

"It's just too slippy to walk on for me."

Waltham Forest Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment, Cllr Bob Belam, said: "Since Thursday we have gritted hundreds of miles of road and we are working to keep shopping centres, stations and heavily used pavements clear of snow and ice.

"We hope residents will bear with us while we carry out this task and I’d like to thank them for their patience during this period of poor weather.”