Fall changes man's retirement plans

A stroll around his new hometown of Buġibba landed a 70-year-old British man in a deep hole in the pavement, with a fractured hip - and a change in retirement plans.

Colin Farrar, from Yorkshire, ended in "excruciating pain" less than a month after he moved to Malta, where he planned to retire.

Two months after the accident, which left him unable to walk, the deep hole in Dolmen Street, opposite the Buġibba promenade, has still not been patched up, but is only covered by a makeshift green-painted short wooden plank.

Sitting on the sofa in the seafront apartment he is renting with partner Rita Dean, Mr Farrar recalled how the two were wandering around the neighbourhood, trying to get acquainted with the town they planned to start calling home.

But as they turned round the corner, Mr Farrar suddenly tripped, ending up on his side, writhing in pain. "All of a sudden, he was sprawled on the ground, in a lot of pain," Ms Dean said.

The elderly man was rushed to hospital where he was found to be suffering from a fractured hip. He spent days bed-bound and in great pain.

"I was unable to move my left leg at all. Getting out of bed was not an option," the retired lorry driver said.

Six days after the accident he underwent surgery to fix his hip, but has been told he might still need a hip replacement in future.

More than two months after his accident, Mr Farrar is still barely able to walk, and has to use a walking frame to take a few steps. The experience has changed the couple's plans to retire in Malta, and they are packing their bags and flying out of the island on February 10, with no intention of returning.

Contacted yesterday, St Paul's Bay mayor Graziella Galea said the council was aware of the hole in the pavement and had already asked a contractor to fix it. Ms Galea said she will be calling the contractor again tomorrow to ensure that the work is done.

cbusuttil@timesofmalta.com