A FOOTPATH leading out of a Malvern supermarket’s car park has now been made safe, after being targeted by vandals.

The path runs uphill from the car park at Waitrose in Malvern towards Worcester Road, and is frequently used by the shop’s customers.

However, during the last week, seemingly as a result of vandalism, wooden fence which separates the path from a large drop into the car park below, has been broken.

This resulted is that the path has become a hazard to the people who use it, says one customer.

He said: “The remaining wood is well below knee height. If someone lost their balance and fell against it, it would be well below their centre of gravity and they would go straight over.

“It must be 40 or 50 feet vertically down into the car park below.

“The wooden fences along the whole footpath have been extensively vandalised, but this is one section where it really matters and where action has to be taken because it poses a real hazard.

“I would very much like to see the path closed off to the public while repairs are carried out.

“It might also be a good idea to replace the wooden fence here with something stronger, perhaps a metal barrier, to prevent this kind of problem arising again.”

However, after the Malvern Gazette contacted Waitrose and Partners this week, new wooden planks have been installed across the breach, making it safe.

A Waitrose and Partners spokesman said: “We’ve put a temporary repair in place and will install a more permanent solution as soon as possible.”

Although the path is open to the public, it is not thought to be an official public right of way.