A PENSIONER who was left injured in the road after his mobility scooter flipped over has thanked members of the public who came to his help.

Philip Bevan, 70, from Stonehouse, was travelling to a wake at the Vine Tree Inn, Randwick, after attending the funeral of Norma Rodman at Randwick Parish Church last Thursday when, while going up an incline, his scooter flipped backwards and he struck his head on the road.

This left him lying in the road, unable to move, but fortunately members of the public came to his aid, stopping traffic and comforting him until the ambulance arrived an hour later, with two women in particular giving him first aid and staying with him.

Mr Bevan suffered cuts and bruises and was released from hospital at 2am on the Friday. Later that day, he called the SNJ to express his thanks to the people who helped him.

Since then, he has discovered that the kind duo were Mel Little, who works at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College, and Sam Eeley, deputy head of Cashes Green Primary School.

Mr Bevan, who has used a scooter since sustaining life-changing injuries during a cycling accident in Stonehouse four years ago, said: “I just wanted to thank everyone for their kindness. It happened extremely quickly and the worry was that I might have damaged my spine again."

Mr Bevan said the accident took place while he was using a fold-up scooter which can be transported in the back of his car.

“I don’t believe I would have had the accident if I had been using my regular, slightly more robust scooter, but that can’t be transported in the car," he said. "I am not happy that the scooter was so inept at dealing with the road’s incline."