A mother in a wheelchair suffered neck and back pain after falling backwards when a temporary anti-terror bollard structure failed near Birmingham's New Street Station on Wednesday morning.
The 46-year-old from Walsall was with her seven-year-old daughter on Lower Temple Street when she attempted to navigate a temporary ramp. An unsecured panel moved, causing her wheelchair to tip backwards.
"As I was going up it moved as it was not secured, so the wheelchair tipped straight backwards," she told BirminghamLive. "If the barriers hadn't been there, I might have been able to lift up the side arm of the wheelchair and roll out."
A passer-by helped her back into her wheelchair. The mother, who has used mobility aids since 2017, accused Birmingham City Council of making areas inaccessible to disabled people through the installation of numerous ramps.
Council response and future plans
"Birmingham Council is making more and more places inaccessible," she said, warning that older people would struggle even more with the steep ramps.
The temporary Hostile Vehicle Mitigation measures are designed to prevent terrorist attacks by stopping vehicles from driving through side streets. Birmingham City Council said they were "sad to hear about her experience" and encouraged her to contact them directly.
The council confirmed that permanent bollards will replace the temporary structures, which will be "less intrusive" and won't feature ramps.
