Falls 'cause 39% of A&E treatments in winter-gripped Aberdeen'

Many Aberdeen residents have struggled with ice for much of December

Almost 40% of accident and emergency treatments in winter-gripped Aberdeen in recent days followed slips and falls.

A total of 338 of 849 attendances (39.8%) at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary's emergency department from Thursday to Sunday were blamed on ice, snow, slips, trips or falls.

In the same period last year, it was 108 of 656 (16.5%).

NHS Grampian said conditions in the same 2016 spell were normal.

Friday saw the highest number, with 123 attendances blamed on falls, which was 53.2% of the total 231 admissions.

'Be cautious'

There were 58 on Thursday (38.1%), 75 on Saturday (34.1%), and 82 on Sunday (33.3%), out of 152, 220 and 246 respectively.

An Aberdeen City Council spokesman said: "Despite the ongoing efforts of crews to treat roads and paths in line with the winter maintenance programme, there remain areas in which paths and roads remain affected by snow and ice.

"As we have done over the course of the past week, we would urge road users and pedestrians to be cautious whilst these issues persist."

Footage emerged on Friday showing a binman struggling to do his job due to the ice in the Cults area of Aberdeen.