Slippers save elderly from falls

Ill-fitting "sloppy" slippers have been blamed for many falls

Social services bosses are handing out new slippers to the elderly to cut the number of falls this Christmas.

Older people in Portsmouth, Hampshire, are having ill-fitting pairs replaced in the "Sloppy Slippers" campaign.

Portsmouth City Council says such poorly-fitted footwear is responsible for many of the 11,000 falls suffered by the city's elderly each year.

Council bosses, who have already handed out more than 150 pairs, are asking people to sponsor a pair for £5.

Nick Bishop, who chairs the council's Falls Implementation Team, said: "If we can get people proper-fitting footwear that prevents them from falling then we are going to make their quality of life better and save a lot of money."

The slippers will be handed out to elderly people in care homes and others supported by social services.