Concern for elderly prompts Worthing man to clear weeds

Rob Chisholm became concerned about vegetation growing alongside a bus stop in Rose Walk, Goring-on-Sea, which he believed might cause elderly passengers to lose their footing.

“The weeds had become so overgrown along the edge of the pavement that they obscured the actual drop from the bus stop onto the pavement,” he said.

“This particularly concerned me because my mum is 92 years old, and I know that elderly people can easily mistake the overgrown area for part of the pavement and potentially step down unexpectedly.”

He contacted the council about his concerns, but decided to clear the worst of the weeds himself because he felt it was "an immediate safety issue".

Mr Chisholm said: "I did this simply to help my mum and other people using the bus stop."

He told The Argus that being a carer had opened his eyes to "an area of society that perhaps we don't always notice until it affects someone close to us - what happens as we get older."

He said: "Failing eyesight, hearing, balance and mobility can make simple everyday tasks surprisingly fraught with risks.

"Something as straightforward as getting off a bus and stepping onto a pavement can become a genuine hazard.

“I have taught people to fly paragliders since 1994, right up until 2026 when I became a carer for my mum.

“When I taught people to fly, a large part of my job was teaching them to identify risks and eliminate them wherever possible.

“Looking after Mum and having cared for Dad has made me realise that exactly the same principle applies to everyday life on the ground.”

Mr Chisholm also believes that older people may not always speak out about the issues that affect them.

He said: "I think giving time and consideration to elderly people is incredibly important.

"They often don't complain; they simply adapt, stop doing things or become more cautious because something has become difficult or unsafe."

West Sussex County Council encourages residents to report issues using its online form.

A spokesperson for the council said: “We understand residents' concerns about weeds growing on pavements, along kerbsides and at the edges of footways, particularly where they may make it more difficult to identify the edge of the footway when boarding buses or moving around on foot."

“Worthing is currently being treated as part of the second phase of our county-wide weed-spraying programme, which started this week.

"Following treatment, it typically takes two to three weeks for weeds to die back.

"This particular bus stop is one of the locations included in the current programme and will be treated as part of the scheduled works.

"Weed treatment is carried out through a dedicated county-wide programme, which allows us to treat locations across the network in a coordinated way.

“Where possible, we are also working with Worthing Borough Council to arrange follow-up sweeping once the treatment has taken effect.

"Residents should begin to see an improvement over the coming weeks as the weeds die back and are cleared."