An elderly woman was taken to hospital following an accident on one of the High Street’s new log benches.

Last week the Sutton Guardian reported several of the new log benches on the High Street had been cordoned off because of a dangerous problem with the locking mechanism.

We can now reveal the problem was discovered after an elderly lady fell off one of them.

On October 21, 75-year-old Evelyn Rider, of Carshalton Beeches, tumbled off a bench opposite the Grapes pub on the High Street.

She said: “I tried to sit down but the whole log shifted away from me.

“I fell face first on to the floor with a tremendous crash.

“I was very shocked.”

Mrs Rider, who suffers from angina, was taken to accident and emergency and kept in hospital overnight. She was told she had suffered an angina attack which could have been caused by the fall.

She said: “Even the secure log seats are a potential danger to old age pensioners like myself. There are no handles to lower or raise yourself and the seats have no backs to them.

“This so-called renovation is a total waste of time.”

Councillor Jayne McCoy, Sutton Council’s executive member for planning, economic development and housing, said: "We were very sorry to hear about Mrs Rider’s accident and immediately took steps to fence off the barriers while we investigate what happened.

"The safety of our residents will always be of the utmost importance.

"New locking mechanisms are also to be fitted to these benches at no cost to the taxpayer.

"While there have been the inevitable issues with a project of this size, we hope the revamped town centre will serve to provide a better retail experience.

"The town centre businesses are incredibly supportive and are expecting increased footfall in the run-up to Christmas."

Last week the town centre makeover came under further criticism from residents at a meeting of he Sutton local committee.

Angela King, from Sutton Common, told councillors: "I don’t think I have ever felt so upset about anything as what has happened to the High Street.

"I feel we have gone downmarket. Trinity Square is a disgrace, it is bleak and desolate."

Steve O’Connell, London Assembly Member for Sutton and Croydon said he has now submitted a question to Mayor of London Boris Johnson asking why Transport for London have approved "such poor value spending" at a time of heavy spending cuts.

He said: "I am sure there must have been other projects that could have been delivered in Sutton that would have actually benefited residents of the borough."