A grandmother from Grimsby is pleading for people to listen to Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) rulings after having her life changed when she was hit by a cyclist.
Susan Godfrey, 68, has lived in Grimsby all her life and in May 2024 was walking down Victoria Street in Grimsby with Dave, her husband of more than 50 years, when she was hit in the arm by a cyclist.
Tearing the skin from her body, Susan has been left with no feeling in the lower part of her right arm. Aside from the physical implications, she is now too scared to go into Grimsby Town Centre on her own and is calling for those who think the PSPO rules aren’t important to think again.
Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO) are intended to deal with persistent anti-social behaviour in a local area that is detrimental to the community’s quality of life. They do so by imposing conditions on the use of that area to ensure everyone can use and enjoy public spaces without experiencing nuisance and annoyance.
Breach of a PSPO is a criminal offence subject to a fine on conviction of up to £1,000 however, you may be offered a fixed penalty notice (FPN) as an alternative to prosecution. Payment of the FPN discharges liability to conviction of the offence. The council works in partnership with the police to ensure the effective enforcement of PSPOs.
Speaking about the day in question, Sue said: “I remember walking down Victoria Street with Dave when I saw a cyclist coming towards me. He was trying to get away from the marshalls who had tried to stop him for cycling in the pedestrian area; he was shouting at them when he ran straight into me.
“I managed to stop myself from falling over, but he didn’t stop to apologise, he just carried on like nothing had happened.
“It wasn’t until a few moments later though that I felt a pain in my arm. That was when I saw it.”
She added: “The marshalls came and sat me down before cutting my top off to get to the injury. It was so painful I started shaking.”
After realising the severity of the situation, Sue was taken to hospital. She was told her arm would need stitching from the inside and her skin reattaching.
Thankfully, doctors managed to save her skin, but the incident has had a lasting impact on her arm and her life. “I’ve never felt pain like it in all my life.
“It hurt for weeks and it didn’t matter what I took whether it was specialist oil or painkillers, it made no difference.”
Now, Sue has no feeling in her arm and constantly suffers with shooting pains. Apart from the physical impact, the incident has affected her mentally too.
“I will never go back into town on my own because of this. I only ever go with Dave and always walk along the wall so I know this won’t happen again.
“The whole incident has scared me to death.”
In a message to those that helped her, Sue said: “Thank you for everything. From the marshalls to the police, nobody could have done anything more for me.
“Everyone was wonderful and I don’t know what I would’ve done without them.”
Now, she is pleading with people to respect the rules. “I’m the living proof of why these PSPOs are in place. If that happened to a child or someone older, they could’ve been killed.
“I just hope people will think more about what they’re doing. My arm shows how important it is to not cycle down there, please, just do the right thing.”
The cyclist, Elijah Daines, 22, pleaded guilty to causing bodily harm by wanton or furious driving at Grimsby Crown Court on Friday, 2 May.
Passing sentence, Recorder Felicity Davies, said: “You were a danger to others by riding your bike on a pedestrian zone.”
She added: “Your handlebar or bike lever hit Ms. Godfrey’s arm and you carried on cycling despite one of the officers (WISE) shouting that you hit someone. The result of the collision caused a very nasty injury to her forearm, looking as if it had been degloved.
“The injury has healed, but pictures show there is very serious scarring.” Aside from the physical impact, Ms. Davies alluded to the lifestyle impacts the incident has had on Susan.
“The injury has been troublesome, she has been unable to look after her grandchildren, do her hair, tend to her garden or drive and she is scared to leave the house on her own.”
Daines was given a 12 month community order with two requirements. He was sentenced to 240 hours of unpaid work and ordered to attend 8 rehabilitation days.
He was also ordered to pay £90 in compensation for the damage to Susan’s clothing as a result of the collision.
Cllr Ron Shepherd, Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: “This is a truly horrible situation that should never have happened.
“The PSPOs are there for a reason and everyone has a duty to follow them when they are in Grimsby Town Centre. I’m very proud of the actions of our town centre marshals and the Humberside Police officers who were there that day.
“If it wasn’t for their help, the situation could have been much worse. Most importantly however, I want to thank Susan for being brave enough to tell her story.
“There is no clearer evidence of why the PSPO exists and I’m glad justice has been served. Let this be a message to those who think cycling along Victoria Street is harmless.”
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