Firm comes to the rescue of 87-year-old widow (From Gazette & Herald)

Firm comes to the rescue of 87-year-old widow

A SPROXTON engineering and agricultural contracting company has come to the aid of an 87-year-old widow who has become a near-prisoner in her home because of a deeply-rutted private road.

After reading how disabled Penelope Pearson was in fear of taking out her motorised buggy-scooter because of the state of the road at the rear of her home, Breckhouse Engineers stepped in and employee David Teasdale levelled the road with a digger.

The plight of Mrs Pearson, of Bridge Street, Helmsley, was high-lighted recently in the Gazette & Herald. Because of her disability she can walk only a few paces with the aid of sticks and has to rely on her scooter to get out of the back of her garden on to the private road which leads to Pottergate.

But the road is used by large delivery lorries going to the back of the Costcutter store, and by other nearby residents getting access to the garages of their homes.

Mrs Pearson said she was too frightened to use her buggy because the ruts in the road were so deep and full of water that she was afraid of her machine overturning.

Costcutter has denied that its lorries cause the problems, although they have a right of way over the road.

Now, Simon Dunn and David Teasdale, of Breckhouse Engineers, Sproxton, have improved the road with a digger, removing the potholes to Mrs Pearson's home.

She said: "I cannot thank Simon and David enough because I am now able to ride my buggy along the newly-levelled road into town to do my shopping. To send a machine capable of levelling the potholed rear access road at the company's expense, was a truly magnificent gesture"

She added: "Not only has the road been improved for me but also for the residents in Ryecourt, Helmsley's sheltered housing accommodation."

Coun Chris Parkin, Helmsley's member on Ryedale District Council, who took up Mrs Pearson's plight, said: "It is silly to say that the lorries visiting Costcutters have not been a major cause of this problem - it was never an issue until they took over the store in Helmsley. I know that Ryedale Housing Association is considering resurfacing the road and what Breckhouse Engineers have done is a temporary measure, but it is splendid to see a local company that cares about the community."

Updated: 09:08 Wednesday, March 19, 2003