There has been a lot of criticism directed at Brighton and Hove City Council’s failure to grit the pavements during the recent snowfall. There seems, however, to have been no comment about the response of the police to the situation.

Bus services were unable to reach even fairly central parts of the city. Hospital A&E departments were at full stretch dealing with strains, sprains and broken bones.

People were trying to get to work (some of them workers in hospitals and police stations I suspect) and were using the only surfaces on which it was remotely safe to walk – and the police told us we must not walk in the road?

Officers ignore cars parked on pavements, they take no notice of motorists crossing solid white lines in Western Road or delivery vans parked at traffic signals – all practices that endanger pedestrians.

On this one occasion could the police not have thought about pedestrians and warned motorists to take more care on temporarily shared roads?

Mike McRory-Wilson
Essex Place, Brighton