York council has defended its decision to open the City Walls after a freezing night after two people slipped and hurt themselves.
The walls are routinely closed in bad weather as a safety precaution.
The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for ice lasting until 10am on Wednesday, saying “people should take extra care on pavements and cycle paths”.
But the walls were open on Wednesday morning, and it led to problems.
A YorkMix reader contacted us to say they were parked close to Victoria Bar on the walls and saw people “sliding all over the place” on the walls.
“Two people fell as I was watching,” he said. “The first was an older gentleman. He went for a right tumble.
“He got up and was clearly hurt, holding his shoulder.
“The a little lad, walking with his mother, went straight over and banged his head. They were lucky not to go over the edge – there’s a sheer drop there.
“I was surprised to see the walls open on a frosty morning like this, they’re usually closed.”
Liam Dennis, ancient monument manager, at City of York Council, said: “The City Walls were opened at the usual time on Wednesday following our standard safety checks.
“Each day during cold weather, the walls are inspected at 7am at three locations – Bishophill, Lendal Bridge and Lord Mayor’s Walk. These points give us a reliable indication of underfoot conditions along the rest of the walls.
“Although a yellow weather warning for ice was in place overnight, temperatures did not fall as low as forecast, and no ice was found at these inspection sites in the morning, so the walls were assessed as safe to open.
“We’re sorry to hear about the incident reported to you. We take safety on the City Walls extremely seriously.
“The walkway can be slippery for a number of reasons – including water, ice, leaves and natural lichen growth – and we always advise visitors to take care when using the monument.
“If conditions change during the day, or if inspections identify any safety risks, the walls may be closed at any time.”
