A DISABLED woman is calling for improvements to roads, pavements and potholes after almost being tipped out of her wheelchair recently.

After struggling to navigate the town’s centre, Darlington woman Ailsa Garbutt said the condition of its walkways and roads presented a potential hazard to disabled people.

The 72-year-old, who says she is regularly jolted around and subjected to uncomfortable journeys, has singled out Crown Street as being in a particularly poor state, with some sections of the road worn down and uneven.

Ms Garbutt said: “The town centre is terrible, especially trying to get across the roads.

“They are that bad that there's been a couple of times where I’ve almost come out of my wheelchair.

“It’s quite dangerous, especially around Crown Street Library where it is treacherous for wheelchair users and makes it difficult for people pushing them – we all pay our council tax and this is not on.”

Gordon Pybus, from Darlington Association on Disability, said the town was “no better and no worse” than many others for wheelchair users but Cllr Kevin Nicholson, who has embarked upon a ‘pothole patrol’ campaign, said Mrs Garbutt’s upsetting experience was one of many he had heard recently.

Calling on Darlington Borough Council to work more effectively to tackle the issue, he said the authority was not doing enough to communicate with residents.

Cllr Nicholson added: “I’ve heard of people in wheelchairs having difficulties as well as cyclists coming off their bikes, cars being damaged and stones flying into children's faces.

“It is unacceptable, especially when the council has been given money by the Government to fix potholes.

“This is not an issue of money, it is about efficiency and the standard of service the council is providing.

“People are very frustrated and the council should be doing more to communicate with them about what’s happening.

“We know there’s been a really bad winter and it’s had an impact but they’re not getting repairs done quickly enough, and these problems are creating a danger.

“It’s worrying and horrible to think there are vulnerable people being affected by the inaction of the council.”

A Darlington Borough Council spokesman urged Mrs Garbutt to contact them with her concerns and said roads and footpaths were inspected regularly and more frequently in busy areas such as Crown Street.

He added: "It is unfortunate that a defect has arisen between inspections which is why we encourage anybody seeing a problem to report it so we can investigate and repair."

The council has received an extra £90,000 from the Government to tackle damage caused by a severe winter, with workers repairing twice as many potholes this February and March than in previous years.

To report a pothole, call 01325 405222 or email highways@darlington.gov.uk