A man whose wife was injured after her mobility scooter hit a pothole is calling for the town council to fix the ‘dangerous’ situation.

Husband and wife Terry Rutland, 64, and Elaine Rutland, 63, spoke out after the White House was handed £90,000 by Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC), which it decided to spend on new benches, trees and planters for Market Square and the High Street.

Leighton-Linslade town council says the money was "specifically earmarked for use in the town centre" – and that pothole repairs at Vandyke Road Cemetery are planned for the future.

CBC says repairs such as potholes are already "covered through other funding".

placeholder image — The cemetery. Images: Google.

Elaine was injured when her mobility scooter hit a pothole at the cemetery in 2021.

Terry claimed: "My wife scratched her wheelchair and grazed her elbow, and had a pain in her back for a while. All this money the council has wasted on the High Street. It's upsetting for her to hear about this.

"She comes to visit her father’s grave, and wants to go there without risking her life, without falling over. She's got to get across in her wheelchair.

"I went to a meeting at the library earlier this year and gave the council photos of the potholes – but nothing has been done."

The LBO asked the town council if it could have the photos from its annual meeting (March 18) – as they were the only copies that Terry had – but was told the council no longer has the pictures as there was "no reason under General Data Protection Regulations to keep them".

A Leighton-Linslade Town Council spokesman, said: “The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) has been allocated to Leighton-Linslade and specifically earmarked for use in the town centre and on capital investments. The key focus of this initiative is the replacement of planters and benches in the town centre, ensuring that these public amenities are updated providing comfort and a more modern aesthetic. In addition to this, the town council is actively engaging with local artists to transform these planters into vibrant pieces of public art. This collaboration will bring fresh, vibrant and captivating artwork to the town centre that reflects the communities creativity.

"Involving local artist in the project not only supports the local creative community but also ensures that the artwork is deeply rooted in the town’s cultural identity. These enhancements are expected to create a more inviting and visually appealing environment for residents and visitors alike. By integrating functional seating and planters with the creativity within the town, we hope that the unique project will be positively received.

"As part of its ongoing improvements to Vandyke Road cemetery, patch repairs to the footpaths have been identified as a future action and are anticipated to take place once restoration of the Chapel and Lychgate have been completed”.

A CBC spokesman added: "The scope of what UK Shared Prosperity Funding can be used to fund was determined and approved by government. Road repairs, such as potholes, which are already covered through other funding, were not included within the scope of the UKSPF. The government would not have approved the use of UKSPF funding for this purpose. For more information, visit UK Shared Prosperity Fund: prospectus - GOV.UK."