Parent power gets dangerous manhole replaced

The manhole is in the garden of flats owned by Rother Homes where children from tots to teenagers play. Beneath the easily-removed cover is a concrete-lined sewer inspection shaft about 10ft deep.

Residents of Berwick House in Preston Road, Sidley, were so concerned that they contacted the Observer on Friday evening.

The confrontation ended with the workers' boss assuring the Observer that he would get the cover replaced the following day.

Residents had placed a dustbin over the cover as a safety measure by the time the Observer arrived.

Rebecca Butler, of Berwick House, said: "A neighbour rang Rother Homes a couple of days ago to say that a manhole cover was broken across the corner and that there was mess coming up underneath it.

"The men came up this morning. But they replaced the cover on another manhole, not the faulty one, with this shoddy lightweight one.

"The kids were all out here playing football just now and the father of one of them trod on the cover and it just bent under his weight.

"My son James is only three and we found the cover is so light he could lift it off easily. There is a deep hole underneath.

Neighbour Shem Tollan said: "I was playing footie with brother and the kids and I trod on the cover and it gave under my weight.

"It's so light my Josh can lift it off and he's six.

"A kid could easily fall down that hole. They would be killed. If I'd fitted a cover like that I'd be sued."

Peter Barden said: "I reported the day before yesterday that the cover behind the next block was broken and there was a filthy mess beneath. But when they came down they did this one, I don't know why. You could lift this with your little finger."

When the workers arrived they told the neighbours that they had followed instructions and fitted a lightweight cover. They said these were "standard" and could take a load of 2 tonnes but admitted that a child could easily remove one.

The workers walked off the site complaining of being subjected to abusive language and "confrontational" behaviour and phoned their boss.

They later handed their mobile phone to the Observer. Business sector manager Colin Jordan told the Observer: "We were instructed to fit a lightweight manhole cover, which we got from Rother Homes.

"I understand residents at the property are agitated and I am going to make the decision now to get a heavy-duty manhole cover fitted tomorrow. I can't do anything about it tonight because I don't have one but we will fit a heavy-duty one if a lightweight one is not fit for the purpose.

"I would rather have a non-confrontational situation because that is something which is not welcome."