Wandsworth Council have confirmed that the owners of electric cars, rather than the authority itself, will be deemed at fault should someone trip and fall on the charging cables.

This comes after concerns were raised about the safety of having charging points placed on the pavement, rather than in the streets.

Battersea MP Marsha de Cordova has a visual impairment.

She says she knows first hand how difficult it can be to navigate the pavement "when it has poorly designed or ill conceived street furniture obstacles."

"I fully support electric vehicles and believe they have a very important role to play in the future of our transport," she said.

"As this type of vehicle becomes more popular local authorities will be in a rush install charging points.

Local authorities must ensure the safety of all road users and provide whatever training is necessary to make sure charging points and cables are installed safely so as not to create hazards for blind and partially sighted people.

"Pavements have to be hazard free to accommodate all of our residents."

The council has been installing these electric vehicle charging points in hundreds of street lights across the borough in an effort to get people to make the switch away from diesel and petrol to help reduce emissions and improve air quality.

Wandsworth Times:

But a charity which looks to promote everyday walking says the local authority should consider placing the charging points in the road or on build-outs from the pavement.

"While electric vehicles have a role in helping clean up our air, this should not be at the expense of a genuinely zero-emission mode of transport - walking," chairwoman of Wandsworth Living Streets Susie Morrow said.

"They should only be placed on the pavement as a last resort, and such that two people can comfortably walk side by side.

"If we are serious about tackling the climate emergency, we will need to greatly reduce car journeys."

Another issue that was raised was who would be at fault legally should someone trip, fall and injure themselves as a result of the charging cords.

A Wandsworth Council spokesman answered this by saying: “Of course owners of EVs must take care when charging their vehicles to not create trip hazards for pedestrians, but using lampposts next to parked vehicles is a much better option than trailing cables across pavements from flats and houses.

"Ultimately though it is the legal responsibility of the vehicle owner to make sure they are not creating a hazard for others.

"We are not aware however of anyone in Wandsworth having tripped over or suffered any injury from an EV cable.”