A mum suffered nasty cuts and bruising to her head and face after tripping over fly-tipped rubbish in the dark left in the middle of a pavement.

Sue Heath-Hall was walking her dog at about 8pm last night (December 10) in Cliftonville Avenue, Margate when she fell over metal wiring, believed to be the springs from an old mattress, left discarded on the pavement.

She slammed her head into a brick wall, leaving her with cuts and bruises to her face, a large bump on her head, and injuries to her elbow and knee.

The 51-year-old, who lives in Arundel Road, has now spoken out about the dangers of fly-tipping, calling it “not just lazy, but dangerous”.

She added: "I was walking my dog when I tripped over the wiring and flew into the brick wall.

“It was on a dark stretch of pavement that wasn’t lit by the street lamps. That’s how I ended up with these injuries to my face.

“It’s not just lazy to leave rubbish on the pavement, it’s also dangerous. If this had been an elderly person, it could have meant a trip to the hospital and weeks of recovery."

Despite suffering blurred vision, a swollen head, and painful bruises, Mrs Heath-Hall opted not to go to the hospital due to fears of long wait times in A&E.

The online English teacher and charity shop worker has been forced to take two days off of work due to the injuries.

Since the incident last night, Mrs Heath-Hall told KentOnline she has reported the fly-tipping to Thanet District Council (TDC).

She also moved the metal wiring closer to the lamppost on the pavement to prevent further accidents.

"I have no signs of concussion, just slightly blurred vision,” added Mrs Hall.

“I feel surprisingly okay but have to take a couple of days off work because of my face.

“Hopefully when the swelling goes down over the next couple of days a bit of makeup will help cover the bruises.”

Directly after the fall, Mrs Heath-Hall says she and her dog Bonnie, which is a Portuguese Podengo, had to be picked up by her husband as she was “very shaken up”.

The mum-of-three believes her “high level of fitness” prevented her from being more seriously injured.

She also spoke of her frustration as her £130 pair of glasses and £60 new coat were damaged during the fall.

“When it first happened, I was in complete shock. My husband had to come and pick me up,” she said.

“I’m a very active person so I think my fitness and health stopped me from being more seriously injured.

"This shouldn’t happen to anyone. People need to think twice before dumping their rubbish on the streets.”

A spokesman for TDC said: “We would like to extend our sympathy to the resident concerned.

“The incident has been reported to the council, and the fly-tipped material will be located and cleared as soon as possible.

“Anyone who finds fly-tipped rubbish, anywhere in Thanet, is encouraged to report it to the council using the online form.”