Mayor’s plea for elderly watch

Newtown’s mayor has led the calls for residents to keep an eye on their elderly neighbours following tragic national incidents over the past few days.

Two pensioners froze to death after falling in their gardens in unrelated incidents in north west England at the weekend and Cllr. Joy Jones has urged the town to avoid a similar situation here as temperatures plunge as low as -12 this week.

“It is bitterly cold and has caught many by surprise,” she said. “I have seen a lot of elderly people still trying to get out and about despite it being very dangerous. The last thing we want is for anyone to get into difficulty after falling so I urge everyone to keep an eye on their neighbours, especially if they are elderly or infirm.”

Temperatures have dropped to as low as -12 in the Newtown area and it could be the weekend before they manage to get above freezing again.