Inquiry into mother’s, Nicky Clarke, claim she was trapped by cleaning machine

Published: 28 May 2010
by PETER GRUNER

A NEW row over the use of street cleaning machines on pavements blew up this week after a woman claimed she and her one-year-old daughter were within inches of being injured by one.

Islington Council has launched an investigation after Nicky Clarke,  a nursery nurse from Angel, complained that she was trapped against a wall with her daughter Phoebe outside the post office in Essex Road on Monday morning.

The Tribune reported last week that traders were blaming the 2.1-ton Precinct cleaners for damaging pavements. 

They claimed that pedestrians were tripping on pavement cracks caused by the £50,000 machines.

Ms Clarke said: “I was outside the post office pushing my child in a buggy when I heard the machine coming up behind me.

“He virtually penned me in and we were within inches of being squeezed against a wall. Then he started shooting out water to clean the pavement and moved away. I was very frightened.”

She handed her baby to her mother while she remonstrated with the driver of the machine. 

“I stood in front of him and shouted: ‘Why didn’t you see us on the pavement? We could have been hurt’,” she said. 

“He just denied he was anywhere near us.”

Essex Road hairdresser Shirley Howard said that for 20 years there had been no need to replace paving stones. 

“Now these machines come onto the pavement, worry the pedestrians and crack the pavements,” she added. 

“We’re always having to rush out and help someone who has tripped on a broken paving stone. 

“Even my old mum fell over.” 

A council spokesman said: “All of our staff who use the Precinct machines are fully qualified to do so and receive thorough training on how to operate them safely.

 “Of course, any complaint of this nature must be taken seriously, and we have been in contact with Ms Clarke to let her know we are carrying out a full investigation.”

Larry Dorsett, a local Conservative, is campaigning against the cleaning machines being allowed onto the pavement. 

“You only have to see them in action to realise the damage that they can do,” he said.