A DARWEN resident has raised concerns about a gaping hole in a car park that has been in the same dangerous state for more than a week.

The deep hole in the the carpark of Willow Gardens on Union Street appeared when a lorry ran over a very thin manhole cover on Saturday, August 22, which then caved in from the strain.

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Twin Valley Homes, who run the retirement village, is aware of the hole but nothing has been done about the situation.

Nearby resident Alan Hargreaves fears someone will get hurt if nothing is done.

He said: “I’m really concerned that there are kids around here who mess about and might run off with the cones or knock them over.

“Someone could fall into the hole when they’re drunk, it’s pretty deep and big enough for a body no problem.

“It urgently needs to be filled as it’s right outside the entrance to the carpark.

“I relied upon our staff to contact head office but nothing has been done.

“It was left to some residents to get it decently covered for now.

“It’s just a manhole, it’s not rocket science. It is unsafe and needs sorting.”

Sunnyhurst Ward CouncillorDave Smith added: “This is out of character for Twin Valley who are usually on the ball, so I do hope something gets sorted very soon as this is unsafe for residents.”

The retirement living complex is run by Twin Valley Homes housing association, a member of the Together Housing group, who manage 8,000 homes in Blackburn with Darwen.

Ian Bell, head of Twin Valley, said that the company takes safety very seriously and steps are being taken to ensure the issue is resolved.

He said: “We were first made aware of the issue of the manhole cover in Willow Gardens in Darwen last Wednesday.

“Our workmen have been on site and are currently fitting a heavy duty manhole cover which should remedy the situation for local residents.

“We take the safety of our residents and other road users very seriously and the new manhole cover should both resolve the current situation and help to protect against any future damage.”