Reading MP to meet City Fibre bosses after woman's near fall

Sam Tyacke, who relies on guide dog Charley to get around, narrowly escaped injury

An MP is asking to meet bosses from a telecommunications company after a visually-impaired woman almost fell into a trench dug into a pavement.

Sam Tyacke, who relies on guide dog Charley, narrowly escaped injury after walking on to a worksite where there was no barrier in Emmer Green, Reading.

Matt Rodda, MP for Reading East, said he would take the matter further with City Fibre, which carried out the work.

The company said safety was its top priority and an inquiry was under way.

Mr Rodda said: "City Fibre need to take a serious look at the health and safety of their sites.

"I'm going to ask for a meeting with them and Sam so they fully understand the danger people with visual impairment face when they are out and about."

There was no barrier in front of the trench in Emmer Green, Reading

City Fibre is carrying out a £58m project to lay new cabling

Ms Tyacke, who was returning home along Buckingham Drive, has a degenerative condition affecting both her eyesight and hearing.

She is registered blind and has tunnel vision and can only see blurred shapes directly ahead of her.

She told the BBC: "If Charley hadn't have stopped I would have been quite hurt.

"But also if I hadn't have gone there possibly someone else who doesn't have any vision at all may have gone down there.

"It was just so open, and there was nothing to stop me walking in that area, and on the right hand side it's all been dug up.

"I think there were open pipes and rubble and mud, so that area was dangerous as well."

Reading has suffered huge tailbacks and congestion during various phases of CityFibre's £58m project to lay new cabling.

In July, the firm's directors were grilled by councillors over the chaos but were given permission for another phase of roadworks to start in October.