A PENSIONER was unable to leave his house for three days, after getting blocked in by snow cleared off the roads, writes Claire Hallett.

Okehampton resident Ken Garrett, 85, found himself stuck in his home on Upcott Road after Devon County Highways ploughed snow from the roads onto the pavement, blocking his front gate entrance.

Mr Garrett said: 'When my wife and I realised we couldn't leave the house I gave Highways a call to let them know.'

Mr Garrett said he was shocked to be told nothing would be done.

'When I rang I wanted to first tell them what an excellent job Highways were doing as they were clearing the roads so quickly.

'But I also wanted to mention that on doing so, they had blocked us in and we couldn't get out.

'When I mentioned that my wife was concerned because I had a heart problem and we would not be able to get out in an emergency, the response was that it was fine as ambulance crews now carry spades.'

Mr Garrett said he had to pay someone to clear his entrance, which was blocked from Friday morning until Monday morning.

He said he had to cancel a hospital appointment the morning the snow was cleared: 'I could just not get there on time.

'I don't want to start pointing fingers because we are very happy here in Okehampton. We have only lived here a couple of years and everyone has been extremely careful and kind to us.

'What I wanted to do was express my concern, for if this were to ever happen again, people would be more prepared.'

Mayor of Okehampton Kay Bickley, who lives up the road from Mr Garrett and his wife, said many people were blocked in due to the snow being pushed onto the side of the road.

'The difficulty lies with us being on the bend of the hill.

'The snow was pushed from the road on to the side of people's drives, which meant nobody could get out.

'It was OK for us because we are reasonably fit and healthy and so therefore could shovel the snow ourselves, but for people who are older, it would have been impossible to shift that amount of snow.'

Cllr Bickley said more thought was needed for people living on the outskirts of town.

'It is difficult for us on the hill and the surrounding areas.

'It would be an idea to have large sand boxes on the pavements so that people walking down on foot could use the sand to bed down on the path,' she said.

A spokesperson for Devon County Council said: 'We're sorry that Mr Garrett feels as if he was not dealt with properly.

'Highways staff had been working extended hours to handle the high volume of calls in these exceptional circumstances.

'It can sometimes sound like staff are being dismissive when they are trying to record the details of the call in order to ensure that the problem is dealt with effectively and we apologise if this is how we came across.'