A pedestrian injured when temporary walkway barriers were blown over on a Haggerston road last Friday has called for better coordination between the council and contractors over site works and warned of the dangers of such structures.

The barriers, alongside a housing association development in Laburnum Road, were set up to shield pedestrians from traffic while building works, which closed the pavement, progressed. High winds blew the barriers over during the day despite their stands being reinforced with sandbags.

Linda Aronson, a scriptwriter who lives locally, sustained bruises to her arm in the incident. “I managed to back away a bit as it fell,” she said. “But Laburnum Road is where Bridge Academy is, and mothers with toddlers use it all the time. A mother with toddlers and a push chair would have had no room. There could have been a seriously injured child.”

A council spokesperson said: “Responsibility for maintaining barriers lies with contractors and the companies they are working for. The council does, however, regularly check on how works are being carried out. When we were alerted to this we contacted the contractors and they are now back up and secure.”

A spokesman for the on-site contractors Taylor Wimpey added: “Site staff at our Haggerston development in Hackney offered first aid to a woman who told us she had been hurt when part of a pedestrian walkway barrier was blown over by high winds, though this offer of assistance was declined.

“Health and safety is of paramount importance to us and we have taken appropriate action to prevent such an incident happening again.”