OVERGROWN hedges, bollards, cafZ chairs, and holes in the pavement are top of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association's list of street hazards.

But for Gavin Atkins, 50, who has been blind since he was nine, broken glass is the biggest problem.

His last dog was unable to work for three weeks after stepping on a shard of glass in the street, meaning a total loss of independence for Mr Atkins.

"I can't have the freedom I have or live the way I do without the dog," he said.

"It just involves so much intervention from sighted people."

Thankfully, as we walk through Darlington town centre with his guide dog, Carter, a two-and-half-year-old Labrador, we don't come across any glass.

But the streets are still lined with obstacles, which make life difficult for Mr Atkins, who is a piano tuner.

"Discarded food is a big distraction for a dog," he said. "You can end up in a dangerous situation if your dog is distracted and stops guiding you.

"But things like signs in the middle of pavements, dustbins or bin bags are even worse. We have no way of knowing they are there."

Along Bondgate, we come across numerous entrances for cars between the shops. "They are very dangerous for us," said Mr Atkins.

"There is no tactile paving to let us know they are there."

Noise can play a huge part in helping Mr Atkins navigate his way around hazards.

He points out a large van straddled across the pavement.

How does he know it is there?

"It's the reflection of sound coming off it," he said.

"I can hear and feel the enclosed sound of large objects, so I know to avoid them. But lots of shops have loud music blaring. That is a distraction for me because I can't then hear the sound going around."

On Skinnergate, the narrow pavement and shop signs makes it difficult for Carter not to stray on to the road where cars are going past.

Elsewhere, we encounter wheelie bins, piles of rubbish, overgrown hedgerows, scaffolding and roadworks which force us into the road.

"We get very used to managing because we have to," said Mr Atkins.

"But the more hazards there are on pavements, the more it causes people stress and makes them less confident to go out. We are totally reliant on our dogs and every day we are quite literally taking our lives into our hands.