A STRICKEN pensioner has called for urgent repairs to Frinton’s “dangerous” pavements after receiving four stitches to his face following a fall.

Peter Leonard, 84, was left with blood pouring from his face after tripping and falling while walking along Fourth Avenue.

He was returning from the seafront when he stumbled over a loose paving slab.

Worried residents left their houses to offer comfort and treatment to the injured pensioner.

A grateful Mr Leonard said: “I feel like you need to be careful wherever you go in Frinton.

“I had to have four stitches in my face. The people who helped me were very good.

“One came running across the road and put his jumper over my head.”

Mr Leonard is recovering well at home after the fall following hospital treatment.

Peter’s son John added: “We didn’t even know until we got a phone call to say he had been taken to hospital.

“He was in a bit of a state.

“It needs to be highlighted as we know quite a few people have fallen over. He smashed his glasses and was taken by ambulance to hospital.

“It was horrible.

“Because his blood is thinner there was a lot of it and it looked awful.”

John added: “This isn’t someone who is less able.

“He is an active guy who is always out walking his dog up the seafront.

“Yet this is the second fall he has had in four years.

“Last time he fractured his eye socket.”

An Essex Highways spokesman said: “We are very sorry to hear about this gentleman’s fall.

“It’s a horrible thing to happen at any age and we hope very much he will make a good recovery.

“There are some relatively lower risk issues recorded for pavements on Fourth Avenue but our main local effort in the near future is focused on rebuilding worse pavements on Third Avenue.”

He added: “As a ‘local road’ the pavements on Fourth Avenue are inspected regularly once a year.

“We would strongly urge any member of the public aware of a significant problem in the meantime to please report it to us online at essex.gov.uk/highways.”