A widow has been left battered and bruised after she fell over a broken paving stone outside her home and had to crawl, bleeding, across the road to get help from a neighbour.

Lily Shermer, aged 81, was walking from her home in West Bromwich to her daughter Gillian’s house nearby when she tripped over the stone, which she says was sticking up. Her family fear other elderly people could suffer the same fate.

They said today that she looked “like she’d been in a boxing ring” because of her bruises and called on Sand-well Council to take better care of its pavements.

Mrs Shermer said: “I didn’t know what had happened; I just slammed face-first into the pavement.

“It was extremely painful, and there was so much blood I couldn’t believe it. I had hurt my leg and had to crawl across the street to my neighbour’s house who called an ambulance.

“I went to Sandwell Hospital where they examined me and have had to be put in the care of my family as they fear I could suffer delayed shock.”

Mrs Shermer was walking from her sheltered housing bungalow to her daughter’s home at 5.30pm on Sunday when she fell. She said: “The pavements are always in a state but whatever you say, nothing gets done.”

Mrs Shermer’s daughter Christine Hocknull, 58, hit out at the state of the pavement. She said: “Mum looks like she’s been in a boxing ring.

“It has really shaken her, yet we know it could have all been avoided if the paths were properly monitored and maintained.”

Cabinet member Councillor Mahboob Hussain said: “I am sorry to hear about this lady’s accident and hope she recovers quickly.

“As soon as we received the inquiry we sent a highways engineer to investigate. We are satisfied all highways-adopted footpaths meet health safety standards.

“However, we believe the area in question may be the responsibility of a housing association, so we are contacting them to investigate further.”