A RETIRED GP says he is angry over the time it has taken to repair a broken manhole cover in Old Town.

Dr Jeffery Cullis, of Bowling Green Lane, described the damaged cover located near the former railway bridge at the junction of Croft Road and Devizes Road as an "accident waiting to happen".

He said: "The broken cover is on a school route for children going to Lethbridge School and people are walking around it every day, but it only takes young children to push or shove, and someone could be seriously injured.

"The cover has been clearly smashed, probably by a heavy lorry or vehicle, and has several sharp edges. Anyone tripping into it would easily cut their flesh.

"There is a piece of plywood over it and there were three cones marking its position, but two of those have disappeared.

"It is quite possible that someone could trip on the wood, shift it and fall down the hole, I know of at least one person who has already tripped on the wood itself.

"It has been like that for about eight weeks now. It is an accident waiting to happen and it's disgusting that nothing has been done in all that time. No-one seems to care.

"I have spent hours and hours on the phone, to the council and the Health and Safety executive, but no-one is doing anything about it."

At the weekend, the manhole cover was being protected by a sheet of plywood and a single orange cone on top of it.

A council spokesperson said the problem was not Swindon Council's responsibility but that of a householder.

The manhole covers the connection between the sewers and No 2 Croft Road and if the cover is on a public highway it is still the responsibility of householder.

The householder said he had asked the council for an estimate to complete the repairs, and that he hoped that it would be fixed shortly.

It's not the first time that broken manhole covers have caused problems in the town.

In December 2004, the Adver reported the plight of retired Methodist minister Derryck Evans, who broke his leg after buying a newspaper from his local newsagent in York Road.

He had fallen around four feet down a manhole. Fortunately he had his mobile phone with him and called an ambulance.