NOTHING is being done to improve the safety of a woodland path in Wrexham described by local councillors as "dangerous" and a "death trap".

The path that runs through Nant y Gaer woods in the village of Llay has been causing concern for residents and community councillors for the best part of a year, but fencing it off has been deemed to be "too expensive" by Wrexham council.

At a community council meeting on Wednesday, the issue was once again highlighted by Cllr John O'Keefe who said Wrexham council "hadn't learnt" after three people had fallen down steep embankments in the last six months, which in places are 20/30 foot vertical drops.

Cllr O'Keefe said: "Although the council have repaired part of the path which had eroded, and they've done an excellent job to be fair, there's a section which leads towards the Doctors surgery where there is a 20 foot vertical drop and the path is so narrow. It's an accident waiting to happen if you ask me.

"I agree that you can't fence it all off, the cost will be too big, but there are certain places, I'd say four or five of them, which are really dangerous and they need to be seriously addressed.

"If anyone else gets injured, it will be down to Wrexham Council."

The latest incident involved two elderly residents, one of whom was in his early 90's, suffering falls, with both taken to hospital for treatment. This followed an incident towards the end of last year when a woman was hospitalised after she fell down an embankment with her dog and had to be rescued by a passer-by who was able to pull her back up.

Cllr Bryan Apsley said: "I agree entirely with you. I don't think the response by Wrexham Council has been good enough so far. There is more than one dangerous section of the path, with the situation naturally made worse when the leaves fall from the trees and it becomes slippy.

"It's honestly, a disgrace. Yes, it would cost a fortune to actually fence it all off, but there must be an alternative. I suggest we now take this matter further."

Cllr Rob Walsh said the next course of action would be to ask Wrexham Council to come out and have another look at the specific areas of concern and to see if fencing can be erected in those areas only, rather than across the whole of the path network.

He said: "When the council came out last time, there was a representative from health and safety and he walked to length of the path with us and they're of the opinion that it is safe and wide enough.

"They use the analogy that if it's the same width as a pavement, then it's ok.

"We have several options now, including paying for the fencing ourselves or asking the head of the environment to come out and take a look at it for himself."