A DISABLED woman who has lost an arm has been left helpless after falling over a concealed piece of wood and breaking the other arm on her way home from work.

Grandmother Zena Street, who suffers from osteoporosis, says the wooden marker was left in the ground after paths were laid near her home in Juniper Close, Three Legged Cross, six years ago.

Mrs Street, 50, said: “I tripped over and laid there for 20 minutes until I could get my phone out of my bag.

“I’ve broken the main bone in my arm and three bones in my hand. I’ve bruised my back and I can’t walk – I don’t know whether I have broken a bone in my foot as well.”

She added: “I’m sat like an invalid. I can’t even wash, brush my hair or make a cup of tea and I can’t go upstairs.”

Shop assistant Mrs Street, who walks with a stick, had to have her arm amputated just below her elbow 20 years ago because of a rare medical condition.

She said she was normally given a lift to her Synergy Housing Association property by a colleague, but because she was working alone last Thursday night she had to make her own way home.

“If I go back to hospital and have to have my leg in plaster, it will be 12 weeks before I can go out. I will press for compensation,” she said.

Mike Westwood, Dorset County Council highways manager, said: “The majority of areas of grassland in Juniper Close are managed by the housing association. Only a very small amount of the grassland there is managed by Dorset County Council.

“We haven’t received any complaints about wood obstructing access on any of our grassland – if we do we will investigate immediately and remove the wood to prevent any incidents.

“We take public safety very seriously and will always act on complaints or reported concerns to ensure that the public are protected from accidents or harm.”

A spokesman for Synergy said it would investigate.