These are the dramatic moments when a disabled man crashed his mobility scooter into an exposed metal stump in the High Street.

David Nield, brother of Liberal Democrat councillor and former mayor Janet Lowne, was thrown to the floor from his scooter after hitting the hazard, which had been reported to Sutton Council three weeks ago by the Sutton Guardian.

The accident, caught on CCTV, caused considerable damage to 62-year-old Mr Nield’s new mobility scooter, which had a burst tyre and a broken steering arm.

The footage shows Mr Nield being thrown to the ground at about 8pm outside the Cock and Bull in High Street, which is represented by Coun Lowne.

Passersby and staff from the Cock and Bull pub came to help Mr Nield.

Pub manager Hanna Nixon, 29, said: “This wasn’t the first time the council had been warned about it [the stump]; it originally put a traffic cone over it, but it kept getting stolen.

“He [Mr Nield] was very shocked but we gave him a glass of wine and he was OK.”

Mr Nield, who lives in Clarence Road, Sutton, said: “I couldn’t see the piece of metal coming. The week before all the tables and chairs from the pub had covered it and usually a cone, but that was gone.

“I flew up in the air and landed on my back, I think I was very lucky. I’ve just got a few cuts and bruises.”

The protruding piece of metal, raised 7in from the ground, was part of mechanical benches that acted as barriers before they were removed about six months ago due to a design flaw.

The Sutton Guardian highlighted the potential dangers of the almost invisible stump three weeks ago after complaints by shoppers about the possible trip hazard.

After Mr Nield’s accident the stump was removed the next day.

Councillor Jayne McCoy, executive member for planning for Sutton Council said: “We were really sorry to hear about Mr Nield’s accident and we are really glad the staff at the nearby pub were on hand to help him.

“Because the stump’s foundations were so solid it remained there until the new gates were put in – this work started last week.

“We are looking into the circumstances of this accident. We chained a cone to the stump to make sure it was visible but it appears this was vandalised and ripped off.”