A GRANDMOTHER broke her wrist in three places after slipping off the wall of a seaside paddling pool.

Mary Chalk, 63, visited the pool on Canvey seafront with her five grandchildren, daughter Sherina, 37, and other family and friends.

The pool, one of two on Concord Beach, is known by locals as the “new” pool because it underwent renovation work in 2007.

Mary’s grandsons, aged 18, 11 and five, and her ten-year-old granddaughter set off along the rocky wall around the pool, which is covered in slippery seaweed, to reach some other children who were crabbing.

The five year-old slipped, but was grabbed and lifted to safety by his eldest brother.

The shock of seeing her grandson lose his balance caused Mrs Chalk, who had gone with them, to fall into the pool, where she landed awkwardly and broke her wrist in three places.

She said: “It is not safe at all. They shouldn’t let anyone, adults or children, along that wall.

“It is just waiting for a child to slip over and kill themselves.

“I’m just glad it happened to me and not one of my grandchildren.”

Mrs Chalk, from Enfield, was rushed to Basildon Hospital and her arm is now in a plaster cast.

Her son Lee, 41, who went to try and help his mum after she fell, also slipped on the wall and cut his hand on a shell, but did not need medical treatment.

Sherina Chalk, from Orsett, said: “It was so upsetting.

“My poor mum was in so much pain, but she tried to keep her wrist under the water so the children couldn’t see how badly it was broken.

“We certainly won’t be taking our family down there again.”

Andrew Smith, contracts officer at Castle Point Council, said: “We are very sorry to hear about Mrs Chalk’s accident. This is the first we have heard about it, as it was not reported to us.

“There are safety signs at the pool, but it is a matter of common sense for users and parents to see that some areas are covered by the natural growth of weed and to be careful. After all, this is a beach.”