An electric wheelchair user says she is scared to go out alone due to the risk of falling because of inaccessible and unsafe pavements near her home which forces her into the road.

Sally Matthews says she puts her life at risk every time she leaves her home in Rainham due to the dangers posed by several access issues.

Sally explains how the path is unsafe

The 45-year-old has fibromyalgia which causes extreme swelling and pain meaning she cannot walk without assistance and is dependant on her automatic wheelchair to get around.

And just getting to Rainham town centre is a challenge.

The pathways from the A2 to Birling Avenue, where it meets Berengrave Lane, are steep and rough so Sally says going that way means she risks falling out of her chair.

Instead, she uses another pavement that leads to the town centre but this also poses a problem due to a lack of dropped kerbs.

As a result, she is forced to drive in the road, which is not legal with her chair.

Sally said: "I have to go dangerous ways around to get home and I am frightened I am going to have a serious accident – and what is going to happen is I am going to end up home-bound as I cannot go out."

For Sally to get home safely on her own, she has to take an extra 10 to 15-minute route around back streets instead of a more direct one-minute trip.

At other times, she requires assistance from her partner, Fred Matthews, 38, or a carer who has to help push her or follow behind watching out for oncoming cars.

Sally is afraid of falling out of her chair when not with someone who can help her back up – something that has happened twice.

She added: "I am scared to go out alone in case I have an accident. It is taking my independence away from me and causing a lot of anxiety."

Sally is calling for the pathway to Birling Avenue be smoothed out, re-paved and made not as steep so wheelchairs and push chairs are able to go down it.

She is also urging Medway Council to put in more dropped kerbs along Birling Avenue.

"I want to see this ramp made accessible for wheelchair users," she said. "When I fell out my chair, I thought enough is enough.

"It is not safe. I am going to have an accident or get run over by a car."

Michael Edwards, Medway Council’s head of transport and parking, said: “We are committed to ensuring residents of all abilities can travel around Medway safely.

"If residents contact us with suggestions about how to make roads and pathways more accessible, we thoroughly look into them.

"In this case, we have contacted the resident about their concerns, apologised for any inconvenience caused and have resurfaced a small area of the pathway."