PEOPLE living in a Hampshire town are too frightened to go out because they risk tripping over on its "appalling" pavements.

That was the claim made at a meeting of Fordingbridge Town Council by the deputy mayor, Cllr Anna Wilson.

Cllr Wilson cited the state of pavements at Salisbury Road and Whitsbury Road.

She said: "You can’t expect people to walk on those pavements - they're appalling, they really are.

"People are saying it's too frightening to go out and that they'll trip. People have tripped a lot.”

Hampshire County councillor Edward Heron said he had spoken to officers about the need to reviewing footways in the town.

Cllr Wilson said a “big problem” was the relationship between the town council, New Forest District Council and Hampshire County Council.

She added: “Quite often when we go one council we are directed to another council because it's not their department.

"Surely as councillors we're all responsible to the residents and should always champion their causes no matter which council you sit on.”

Cllr Heron said: “I will accept it is sometimes confusing to the public which council to go to.

"I would hope that signposting so our joint offices tends to work quite well.

"I would hope councils and councillors were fairly aware of which authority they should be going to.”