A resident of Portreath says locked bollards installed by Cornwall Council have prevented ambulances being driven close to the village’s beach to attend injured people.

Penny Bence fears delays on getting casualties off the beach and into an ambulance could have serious consequences. She says twice this year people have had to be taken off the Little Beach: “The latest incident was a man who fell from a ladder while undertaking maintenance on the far end property on the Little Beach. He had a dislocated shoulder and suspected spinal injury.”

Penny believes the locked bollards in the Chynance area of Portreath didn’t allow the ambulance to approach the edge of the sand. “This meant the man could not be taken on a level route by back board to the waiting ambulance, but had to go through the house which has a very narrow corridor and down a steep flight of steps at the other side,” she said.

She says Cornwall Council installed the bollards in 2022 to prevent potential parking – “not that this had been occurring”. Penny believes homeowners should be given keys to the bollards which, she claims, Cornwall Council had previously promised.

The angry resident added: “Cornwall Council have not maintained their bollards, which have jammed up with sand, or responded to my emails about the problems. This should be attended to urgently.”

A spokesperson from Cornwall Council said: “The bollards were installed following concerns from the local community about vehicles driving across and parking on a footpath. It is important to note all the homes on Chynance still have pedestrian and vehicular access.

“As with any changes to the highway network, emergency services were consulted before the bollards were installed and have the ability to remove the bollards if needed. We will revisit the site to ensure the bollards are in good working order.”

South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) has been contacted for comment.