Labour-run Haringey Council is coming under criticism for their inability to respond to requests to make safe a large open manhole that poses a serious risk of injury.

Lib Dem councillor Bob Hare discovered the open manhole while walking down Park Road in Crouch End last week, and reported it to Haringey Council in order that they could cover it and make it safe for pedestrians. A week later, the manhole remained open, partially covered only by a piece of chipboard barely big enough to cover the hole, placed there by a resident.

Councillor Bob Hare comments:

“This manhole is over three feet deep, and the only effort to make it safe seems to have been to place a traffic cone over the top. Older residents and young children are especially at risk, but anyone could have fallen in and badly injured themselves. Labour need to take urgent steps to ensure that this level of negligence doesn’t happen in the future.”