Yellow lines are added to the new invisible kerbs in King Street, Maidstone

by Angela Cole

Council bosses have bowed to people power after dozens of people tripped on "invisible" kerbstones.

Angry pedestrians reported tripping or falling after not being able to distinguish the join between the kerb and the new granite paving in Maidstone town centre.

Now thin yellow lines have been painted along parts of the High Street and King Street.

The complaints started with a Maidstone borough councillor, David Pickett, tripping while crossing to Week Street in May. Then many others came forward reporting slips and trips.

The most recent victim was 78-year-old Kathleen Bradley, of Orchard Way, Snodland, who broke her hand and her knee in King Street and has been admitted to the Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury.

Her husband Keith said: "She couldn’t see the kerb and fell right over."

Andrew Marshall, owner of Head & Hart jewellers in King Street, said: "I have now seen two people in mobility scooters go over."

Maria Sotelo and Joanna Ditton, relatives of Carol Taylor, who injured herself after falling on the new kerb in King Street

Brian Chiswell, 74, of Dickens Close, Langley, cut his arm after falling at the top of Gabriels Hill.

He said: "I was walking up Gabriels Hill and where the hill and the new development meet there is this tiny step that I just couldn’t see."

As a result of the mounting pressure, contractors Eurovia were asked by Maidstone council, who commissioned the £2m regeneration scheme, to try the yellow lines on the kerbstones this week.

A council spokesman said: "We are looking at ways to improve the delineation of the kerb."

Relatives and friends of a pensioner who broke an ankle and badly sprained another after falling in King Street were among those calling for action.

Carol Taylor's daughter Maria and her sister Johanna Ditton of Newdene, Staplehurst, found many others with similar stories after they re-visited the scene.

Mrs Ditton said: "We spoke to several people who all agreed the invisible kerb was a serious hazard.

"Maria and I also went into shops, restaurants and banks where the staff confirmed our suspicions that they see people falling off the invisible kerb almost every day.

"We also spoke to taxi drivers, bus drivers, students and council workers who all said they’d come to the aid of people who’d fallen."

Mrs Taylor, 66, of Wyatt Street, is now recovering.