An elderly widow has launched a claim for compensation after breaking her wrist in a fall.

Joan Baron is claiming up to £1,000 from Oxfordshire County Council for inconvenience and pain. She slipped on a hollow in the paving around a manhole near Witney's Windrush sports centre in Witan Way.

X-rays revealed a fractured wrist and her arm was put in plaster for several weeks. Mrs Baron, 71, of The Old Coachyard, High Street, said: "You don't expect holes and hollows in the pavement when you are walking along. "This was two inches deep. I caught my foot in it and tripped over the manhole cover. The state of the pavements in Witney is terrible. There are many other places in the town where you can trip up if you are not careful where you are walking."

Mrs Baron, a retired nurse, has filed for compensation. The county council operates a claims procedure which is investigated by insurers.

Colin Carritt, area highways engineer, said he could not at this stage admit any liability over Mrs Baron's injuries. The first thing, he said, was to look at the defect and, depending on how serious it was, to prioritise it for repairs. "As soon as we are notified we investigate incidents like this.

"The first thing, though, is to look at the defect and, depending on how serious it is, to prioritise it for repairs."

Story date: Monday 18 October

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.