A Cambridgeshire woman is calling for action from Ely Cathedral after she fell down a set of ‘unmarked’ steps during the bank holiday.
While showing some friends around the historic building, Susan Woolston tripped and fell down a set of steps, leaving her with torn ligaments in her feet.
However the 76-year-old says she got off lucky as just two weeks ago one woman had reportedly broken her leg falling down the same set of stairs.
Ms Woolston said: “I’ve been around the cathedral hundreds of times, I love it, but this time I just didn’t see the steps.
“I put my hands up to save my face. First aid was quickly on site and was very courteous, they said someone had fallen down the same steps two weeks previously and had broken their leg.”
When Susan queried the lack of warning on or around the steps she claimed that someone from the cathedral told her that it’s not in their policy to mark the steps as it is a historical monument.
Joss Palmer, visitor services manager at the cathedral, said: “We are sorry to hear of Ms Woolson’s fall in the cathedral, the safety and well being of all our visitors is of utmost importance.
“We are investigating further into how we can make everyone more aware of uneven surfaces or potential trip hazards in a building that is over 900 years old.
“The Cathedral welcomes well over 200,000 people through it’s doors every year and we are grateful that incidents of this nature are extremely rare.
“We wish Ms Woolson a speedy recovery and hope to welcome her back to the Cathedral soon.”
Ms Woolston suggested some safety tape, a kind that can be easily removed if necessary and she pointed out that it “would do no harm”.
Susan, who lives near Newmarket, was taken to A&E and upon her arrival she said her feet had swollen a considerable amount more.
She said: “According to Ely Hospital, this happened several other times this year. Perhaps if the same thing happened again to someone older than me it could have potential to really frighten them.
“I would like there to be some form of warning, whether it be a sign, board or even a buzzer that lets you know to look down at the steps. It’s dark in there.
“I love Ely Cathedral and will go again but something needs to be done, someone is going to get killed.”
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