Contractors replacing a lamppost head in south Bristol sprayed molten metal over cars parked below causing more than £15,000 damage.
After struggling to remove an old head of the lamppost, workmen contracted by Bristol City Council, used an angle grinder with “disastrous results”. Three cars below were written off, belonging to residents on Wingfield Road who are still out of pocket.
Despite the incident occurring in October last year, the company has still not reimbursed residents for the damage done to their cars. Now Bristol’s mayor Marvin Rees has been urged to intervene and apologise to the residents on behalf of Bristol City Council.
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Councillor Gary Hopkins, of the Knowle Community Party, said: “Things started to go wrong when the workman up the cherry picker couldn’t get the old head off. He resorted to using an angle grinder with disastrous results. The grinder produced a spray of molten metal, approximately 2,000 degrees, which carried down over the front of neighbouring houses.
“Fortunately there were no pedestrians, who would have received serious injuries. What did happen though was serious damage to three parked vehicles under the spray. Professional estimates put the damage at over £15,000. The work was clearly carried out in a dangerous manner.”
Residents phoned the council to complain, however they were made to wait three months until they were told the damage was not the council’s responsibility, rather the contractors’. Now nine months later, they have still not had their claim settled, according to Cllr Hopkins. The council’s highways team has promised to review its working practices and improve safety.
Asked to apologise and encourage the company to reimburse residents, the mayor said “things will happen” and the council has “applied pressure” on the contractors, during a council meeting on July 5.
Mr Rees said: “There has been pressure applied to the contractor. Wherever people work within Bristol and do things that have a negative impact on the people of Bristol, particularly when we’re contracting them, we want to make sure that’s recorded on their record. We expect people to do good work in a good way.
“We’re continually monitoring the contractors now, things will happen, and we expect this organisation to respond accordingly. We’re resolving the situation between our officers and the contractor, to make sure appropriate action is taken, people aren’t out of pocket and are taken care of, and to make sure the systems work properly in future to protect our residents.”
