BUSINESS owners have been left confused over ‘nightmare’ uneven paving outside their shops which has caused people to fall ‘at least once a week’.

Keely Garbett, who runs Tasty Cafe in Windsor Road, Knuzden, said the paving in the street has caused problems for customers for a long time.

Ms Garbett, who has run the cafe for five years, said she spoke to Lancashire County Council about the problem.

She said the council responded and said the pavement was the responsibility of the business owners.

However Cllr Glen Harrison, who represents the area on Hyndburn Council, said another business owner was told it was the council’s land and any private alterations could not be completed.

Ms Garbett said: “The pavement is a nightmare.

“It’s all uneven and it causes people to trip at least once a week.

“We had a man put his head through my window the other week because he had tripped up.

“I want to cordon the uneven pavement off to stop it happening.”

Cllr Harrison said he contacted the council and was told the pavement was the responsibility of the business owners, as well as the council, by two different people.

He said: “Regardless of who’s responsibility the pavement is, the issue is still there and needs addressing.

“We don’t want customers of these businesses falling and hurting themselves.

“The owners of the soon to be Knuzden Tap gin and ale bar told me the county council have ownership and were not allowed to do anything.

“They don’t want people tripping up before or after they have visited their new business.

“The county council need to say definitively who has responsibility of the paving.”

A Lancashire County Council spokesman said: “Our records show that the paved area outside the businesses has not been adopted, and is therefore not maintained by the county council.”

Ms Garbett added she would now look to try to prevent people from tripping over the pavement in the future and speak to the other business owners.