Parents make public appeal after child left with facial injuries due to pothole in Fife

Millie Stewart (7) with Dad Graeme at the location in Coaltown of Balgonie where she was badly hurt. Pic by Steven Brown Photography.

Graeme and Debbie Stewart have been told their daughter Millie (7) is likely to need corrective surgery after she tripped on the badly damaged Treaton Place surface in Coaltown of Balgonie in January, suffering extensive injuries to her mouth and lip.

And after hearing that an elderly resident also recently fell the Stewart family want no one else to get injured.

“It’s every parent’s nightmare seeing your child injured, there was blood everywhere,” said Graeme.

“The road is a hazard and it will continue to get worse and with it commonly used by children walking to school it’s only a matter of time before we see more injuries.

“But it’s proving almost impossible to find out anything with regard to the owners.”

Fife Council, whose bin lorries use the stretch to access nearby homes and who tarmacked and installed street lighting to parts of Treaton Place several years ago, say that part of the road is unadopted and therefore not the responsibility of the Fife authority.

David Brown, network management service manager said: “Treaton Place is a private road which is not adopted for maintenance by Fife Council.

“Responsibility for the roads condition will therefore rest with the owners and an inspection of their title deeds would be necessary to confirm the extent of each individuals liability.”