Woman falls through Birmingham shop floor

A woman had to be pulled to safety by workmen after she fell two metres into a basement as she walked into a Birmingham newsagents.

The 18-year-old stepped inside Blakey’s News, in Winson Green, and fell through a square gap in the floorboards and into the basement, a court heard.

She was pulled to safety and was taken to City Hospital where she was treated for bruising to her ribs.

The shop landlord, Melbourne Blake, aged 72, appeared before Birmingham Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded guilty to health and safety offences.

He was fined £750 and ordered to pay costs of £2,179 plus a £75 victim surcharge.

The court heard how that no precautions were taken to temporarily close the newsagents on Foundry Road and no barriers were put up as contractors carried out maintenance work on June 26 and 27 last year.

CCTV images showed workmen removing and replacing floorboards and joists and on several occasions, customers could be seen balancing on the joists to get to the counter to pay for goods.