COBBLES are part of Lancashire’s heritage – but a shopkeeper claims a stretch of them in Darwen is a step too far.

Pamela Hacking who runs Pamela’s Cafe Takeaway in Croft Street said at least 12 people had been injured after falling on the cobbles between her shop and Market Street.

She called for action, claiming the pedestrians were not to blame as the cobbles were around 4cm high and ‘amazingly uneven’.

Blackburn with Darwen Council said there had been only three complaints over the cobbles and advised visitors to use the crossings if they had any concerns.

The cobbles were laid last year as part of the £1.4million roadworks sch-eme aimed at improving traffic flow around the town.

Pamela said she was “horrified” by the amount of accidents taking place on the cobbles as people cross the road.

She said she had called for an ambulance on three occasions for those injured.

Pamela said: “People are splitting their chins and noses right open and having to be taken to hospital for stitches. A lot of these people are elderly but it also happens to young people. People are getting their heels stuck in the gaps.

“It’s not that people are being clumsy or old. These cobbles are amazingly uneven. Some are four or five centimetres high.

“My staff are devastated because it happens all the time. Thousands of pounds have been spent on regeneration in this town, but somebody needs to rectify this problem.”

Darwen councillor Paul Browne said: “I am concerned. This shouldn’t be happening.

“It is very uneven. They’re not the original cobbles. They’re like little square stones.” Adam Scott, strategic director for regeneration and environment, said: “English Heritage, which provided funding for the scheme, requested that the cobbled area be extended into the Croft Street and Market Street/The Circus area. Whilst there had been no previous major pro-blem with the cobbled areas, it was recognised some residents may prefer a smoother surface.

“In order to accom-modate this, there are specific crossing points where the cobbles have been laid to provide a level surface.”