A 74-year-old woman left "black and blue" after falling over a loose paving stone in Coventry city centre has called on the council to act now before others are hurt.

Hazel Broadhurst, from Keresley, broke her wrist in two places and is still suffering the effects of a concussion after the nasty tumble on Friday night.

She had been walking to the Skydome cinema with her grandson when she tripped over a loose brick in the pavement on Smithford Way near to the Marks & Spencer store.

Now the independent pensioner says she is too scared to venture out on her own.

She said: "It has wrecked my life and my Christmas. I'm in agony...I'm black and blue.

"I may never been able to use my left arm again and my face is absolutely disfigured. They are saying my arm is a write-off.

"I don't dare go out on my own now. I'm lying awake at night seeing myself go down.

"I can't even dress myself. I can't get a bath by myself or do anything.

"I'm really active - I'd been going to the gym for the last two years and I'm used to getting up and doing my own thing so this has just knocked me completely."

Hazel told CoventryLive two men had come to her rescue after she fell, calling her an ambulance and taking her into Marks & Spencer for first aid.

She had to spend around 30 hours in hospital over the weekend because of her injuries.

Her daughter Samantha has now had to take two weeks off work to take care of her.

Hazel added: "I just want to prevent this happening to anyone else.

"The council need to get somebody down there and sort it out.

"It will happen again if it's left like that.

"The pavements are in a bad state all over the city centre."

A spokesman for Coventry City Council said workers regularly inspected pavements around the city centre for defaults.

They added: "We are sorry to hear about this accident and we hope she makes a fast and full recovery.

"We had not been made aware of this but we do inspect the city centre on a monthly basis and any defects that require repair are marked up for that to happen.

"The last inspection was carried out on December 10.”

CoventryLive has gone back to the authority today to ask if any issues were raised about the area where Ms Broadhurst fell over during the December 10 inspection.

We are waiting on an answer.

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