A blind man claims he is unable to leave his Donside home during frosty weather as the local authority refuses to grit the slippery streets outside.
Duncan Ross uses a cane, and likes to break up his day by going out on walks around his neighbourhood in Alford.
As temperatures have plummeted in recent weeks, however, he has grown fearful of venturing over his doorstep in case he slips on patches of ice which he is unable to see and suffers an injury.
The 31-year-old, who also has problems with his balance, has grown “fed up” of being stuck indoors and went to visit local council road bosses this week to demand that the area around his home on Tillyfour Court is treated.
But Mr Ross was left with little hope that action would be taken in the near future, even though he described the pavements outside his home as “a total mess of ice” yesterday.
>> Keep up to date with the latest news with The P&J newsletter
He said: “Over the last week or two it has pretty frosty and it has been absolutely terrible on the worst days.
“Usually I try to get out a wee bit during the day, but recently it just has not been safe.
“I have raised this with the council’s roads department, and went to meet them on Wednesday, but it did not go very well.
“I don’t know how long this cold snap will last, and feel like I am at a standstill until something gets done.”
Mr Ross does not have a job but is keen to secure employment in the future and worries that not being able to leave his home could restrict him.
He added: “I am looking for a job and would hate to have to phone any potential employer to tell them I can’t make it to work because I can’t leave the house.”
Aberdeenshire Council said it would be “impractical to provide a precautionary treatment to all of the roads in Aberdeenshire”.
