Health and safety spells the end for cobblestones
It is the great cobblestone compensation controversy.
Although cobbles can be difficult to walk on - especially in high heels - they are treasured as part of the nation's heritage.
But now, many of those taking a tumble on the uneven surfaces are suing their council for damages.
New figures suggest that hundreds of thousands of pounds are being paid out to compensate people who trip over on cobbles.
Local authorities faced with the prospect of further claims are deciding that enough is enough and are ripping up or paving over the traditional surfaces.
A survey by The Sunday Telegraph has found dozens of areas, including parts of historic market towns and city centres, where cobbles or "setts" have been permanently removed or covered over with modern materials, such as Tarmac, asphalt or concrete.
In most cases, officials say the schemes are necessary for safety reasons. However, heritage groups have criticised the councils and accused them of sacrificing local history in an overzealous response to so-called "compensation culture".
Sixty-six councils across the UK admitted they had permanently removed cobblestones or resurfaced over them in the past five years, at well in excess of 100 locations, covering thousands of square metres of roads and pavements.
Thirty-seven local authorities said they had received a total of 159 applications for compensation from people claiming to have fallen over on cobblestones or to have experienced some sort of accident caused by them.
While some of these claims have been thrown out, others have are still ongoing and several have resulted in payouts totalling more than £100,000, including one of £25,000 from Worcestershire County Council.
The actual number of claims and payouts is likely to be far higher as most councils contacted were unable to provide the information.[...]
