A GROUP of Queens Walk residents are launching a petition demanding better gritting of their street.

Pensioners, disabled people, and mums with young babies were all stranded in their homes during last week’s heavy snowfall.

Disabled pensioner Bridget Davies was snowed in for four days but said the authorities refused to listen to her pleas to send more grit.

Mrs Davies, 60, said: “So many of us have phoned Dorset County Council and all we keep getting told is there’s a grit bin at Henrys Way.

“So many of us up here are over 60 and I’m registered disabled so it’s a bit difficult to go down the hill in the snow and lug the grit back up.

“We are going to do a petition to say we are not happy with how we are treated and we want better facilities. We want to make them take notice because they don’t seem to be listening.”

But amid the snow misery emerged a strong community spirit – by last Tuesday, residents had decided enough was enough and dug their way out of the homes.

Kelly Scott, who has an 18-month-old son Keiron, knocked on her neighbours’ doors and asked for help.

Members of the Renshaw, Tate, Scott, Overton, Lee and Golesworthy families all pitched in.

Miss Scott said: “I told them to grab whatever they can to try and get ourselves out. At one point we were using garden hoes and little sandcastle spades, whatever people could get hold of. The ice was so thick it broke three spades.

“When they finally filled up the grit bin we had a chain of people getting buckets of grit. We also tried to do Applebee Way and the back car park so people could get their cars out.

“It was a really big effort from the kids. They’re youngsters and they wanted to go out sledging but they gave up three hours of their time to help.”

She added: “We need a grit bin at the top of Queens Walk because at the moment there’s only one nearby.