Elderly Man Hospitalised After Toilet Collapse in Stoke-on-Trent Park
A 70-year-old father was hospitalised with back injuries after a public toilet cubicle collapsed on him during a family day out at a Stoke-on-Trent park, raising serious concerns about council maintenance standards.
Family Outing Turns Dangerous
Philip Johnson, from Festival Park, was enjoying an Easter Monday visit to Central Forest Park with his wife and their three children, aged 12, nine, and five, when the incident occurred. The grandfather entered what appeared to be an available cubicle in the gents' toilets, only for the heavy door to detach completely and strike him.
"I rushed in and closed the door behind me. But, to my surprise, the door wasn't even attached to anything. It flung back onto me," Johnson told local media. "It was a very heavy door. Luckily, it didn't hit me on the head. But I injured my back trying to protect myself from it."
Cubicle Collapse and Entrapment
The impact caused the entire adjacent cubicle to collapse inward, creating a dangerous scene. Johnson found himself trapped for a significant period before managing to climb around the detached door to escape.
"I was stuck there for quite a while. My wife was wondering where I was," he recalled. "Two young men came in and couldn't quite believe what they were seeing. They told me to take a picture as evidence. I was very shook up and glad to be out."
Hospital Treatment and Recovery
After consulting with his doctor, Johnson attended Haywood Hospital where he was diagnosed with soft tissue injuries to his back muscles. He spent half of Tuesday waiting for treatment and has since been managing significant pain.
"I was in quite a lot of pain for days. The first night I was in agony," Johnson explained. "I've been on painkillers and heat spray to try to get some relief. I've been given exercises. I can stand up okay now. But it kills me to get back up after I've sat down."
Safety Concerns and Council Response
Johnson expressed shock at the condition of the council-maintained facilities, warning that a child could have been seriously injured or killed in similar circumstances.
"It's shocking that it was allowed to get into such a bad state of disrepair," he stated. "I don't think the toilets should have even been open to the public in that condition. There should have at least been some kind of warning sign."
He attempted to contact Stoke-on-Trent City Council immediately after the incident but faced difficulties reaching anyone due to the bank holiday. After submitting an online complaint, he received a response directing him to another department but remains uncertain if any action has been taken.
Call for Urgent Action
Johnson described the toilets as being in "disgusting condition" and called for immediate closure and renovation of the facilities.
"They need to be more vigilant with their maintenance. Public facilities shouldn't be allowed to get like this," he insisted. "Now it needs to be closed and completely renovated. It's unacceptable to have no safe facilities in a family park."
The Mirror has contacted Stoke-on-Trent City Council for comment regarding the incident and the condition of the public toilets at Central Forest Park.
