There was a trip down memory lane this month at Douglas Council as members discussed trip hazards in the high street.

The council was looking at the issue of A-boards (stand alone signs outside shops) and why they may be a trip hazard to ’pedestrians, and especially to those who were visually-impaired’.

However, while all agreed with the principle, many councillors wanted to see it taken further to ban anything outside shops that may cause a trip hazard, particularly for visually impaired people, ahead of the Equality Act coming into force in the next few months.

Councillor Ritchie McNicholl said that the term A-board was ’too vague’ and reminded members of a ’certain MLC who used to put stock outside his shop’.

This was of course a thinly veiled comment to David Cretney MLC, who ran the much-loved Moochers and his other store Supercards in Strand Street until they both closed in 2012.

The store would often have a variety of items for sale outside the main door.

Mr McNicholl added that ’all obstructions should be removed’.

Councillor Debbie Pitts agreed and asked council leader David Christian how long the council has been pushing the issue with the Department of Infrastructure, saying it has ’been going on for far too long’.

The council wants the DoI to alter the Highways Act to give it more powers to remove obstructions in the street.

Mr Christian said he agreed with the comments of councillors and that changing the wording to extend to obstructions beyond signage would be looked at.

He added: ’Things can take a long time, but I will discuss it again with the Minister [Ray Harmer MHK] and see how long he thinks it will take.’

Councillors unanimously supported giving consideration to changing the description of ’A-board’ within the policy, in order to ’encompass any design of advertising notice placed on the public highway’.

They also sought the amendment of Section 45 of the Highways Act.