A BOURNEMOUTH woman claims that a council official told her falling leaves were “an act of God” during a year-long battle to have them swept.

Christine Wood, of Mallard Road, said the official told her that there was nothing the council could do about leaves on the road.

She said: “I laughed my socks off when he told me.

“I said, ‘Is it an act of God that prevents workmen from coming to clean them up?’”

Miss Wood, 60, has been fighting to get the road cleared of leaves and pine needles as she says it has been a year since it was last done.

However, after the Daily Echo called Bournemouth Council, the road was finally cleared on Friday.

Miss Wood said: “Finally, some contractors came out to clear the road up.

“I’d heard nothing from them, but then suddenly it all happened, which I’m delighted about. It took them long enough to do it. It got to the point where the build-up of leaves and pine needles was about eight inches thick in the drains, and when it rains, the water has nowhere to go.”

Miss Wood said the drains overflowed during the flooding in the summer last year.

“They also get very slippery when the weather is wet or cold,” she said.

“I’ve slipped on the pine needles myself. What if a fragile, elderly person were to fall? It really could lead to serious injuries. What I can’t understand is why Mallard Road, which is such a big road that’s used all the time, isn’t being cleared much more regularly.

“Children walk to school along the road, people drive their cars on it all the time – it just doesn’t make sense when smaller roads are getting much more attention.”

Stuart Best, street services manager, said: “Our Street Services team carries out regular cleans throughout the year of all of Bournemouth’s roads.

“During the autumn months our team is prioritising the clearance of leaves from footpaths and roads across the whole of Bournemouth. Mallard Road was recently cleaned and we will continue to monitor this area.

“Residents can contact the council if they have any particular concerns or issues that they wish to raise and we will do our best to respond to them as soon as possible.”