MAINTENANCE work on pavement and road defects in Brentwood High Street will begin in the new year.

Lib Dem councillor David Kendall has been campaigning for months to have the defects, including Wilsons Corner, mended before someone tripped and seriously injured themselves.

Remedial work was scheduled to begin this week and last for three weeks after Essex County Council announced the work following pressure from Mr Kendall, but at the request of Brentwood councillors, the work has been postponed so it doesn’t interrupt the busy Christmas period, including the festive lights switch-on. Mr Kendall said: “It’s been going on for a couple of years now. I’ve been banging on about it and so have the residents and traders.

“It took having a meeting with highways county councillor Rodney Bass to get this sorted.”

He added: “Essex County Council spent £7.5 million on the roads a few years ago. If you spend that money it’s got to be maintained.

“A lot of elderly people use the High Street, and we’ve had people fall over.”

Joan Brooker, 65, from Brentwood, said: “There are some really dodgy parts, something needs to be done.”

The Weekly News reported last month 15 personal injury claims had been made against County Hall as a result of the High Street, with three payouts made, costing over £3,000.