A pensioner has demanded action from Bromley Council when she was left 'covered in blood' after suffering a nasty fall.

Carol Scriven, 71, claims the council is to blame after an uneven manhole cover and paving slabs, coupled with recently installed ineffective street lighting, caused her to tumble.

Mrs Scriven and her husband of more than 35 years, Sidney, 70, believe that new fluorescent street lighting is endangering residents by insufficiently lighting the street.

Mrs Scriven, of Horsell Road, Orpington, said: "I was out walking when all of a sudden I went down on the floor and I couldn't get up. With a lot of help from my neighbour I managed to get home."

The retired cleaner said: "These lights just show the pavement beneath them. If there was more light I think I would have been able to see it. The proof is in the pudding really; It's never happened before.

"It would be easy for an elderly person who can't walk to fall over that. I do think it's up to the council to fix, all the pavement is broken anyway."

Mr Scriven, a retired train driver, described his shock saying: "Her face was covered in blood. I had to rush her to A&E and she ended up with a broken jaw and a fracture of the eye socket, her head and her forehead are all swollen, she's got two black eyes. She has to see a specialist now."

Describing the effect it has had on the couple, who have two grown-up sons, Mr Scriven added: "It's shaken her up and she's nervous about walking, she has lost her self confidence. She didn't deserve that. She's very very careful walking about now, I'm helping her as much as I can."

Confirming he has reported the October 28 incident to the council, Mr Scriven wants action, saying: "I think it's the council's responsibility to check these and take the necessary actions to make it safe. There's quite a few paving slabs which are broken, cracked and uneven. The concrete leading up to it is about two inches below the pavement level.

"All I want them to do is to level it off so we don't have to step over big gaps. This could happen to anyone. It's dangerous on the streets, this could happen again, and to someone infirm."

However, a spokesperson for Bromley Council said: "We are awaiting details of exactly where this incident happened as despite inspecting the reported location twice, we have not found the reported uneven paving or manhole cover, which would probably be the responsibility of a utility company to fix."