A PENSIONER is considering legal action after footballer Tesfaye Bramble crashed into her garden wall in a drink driving accident.Southend United striker Bramble received a year's driving ban and £755 in fines and court costs after he damaged 74-year-old Joan Chamberlain's garden wall, then ran from police.

By Amanda Cresswell

A PENSIONER is considering legal action after footballer Tesfaye Bramble crashed into her garden wall in a drink driving accident.

Southend United striker Bramble received a year's driving ban and £755 in fines and court costs after he damaged 74-year-old Joan Chamberlain's garden wall, then ran from police. He was found in a nearby garden after police called in the dog unit.

After the incident Bramble visited Mrs Chamberlain at her Benacre Road address and promised to repair the damage, getting his cousin to do the work.

Three attempts were made to re-build the wall failed. It was left a foot lower and out of line with the neighbour's.

It was not finished properly and rubble, concrete and a wheelbarrow were left strewn across a parking area.

Mrs Chamberlain's son, Robert, 51, of Cliff Lane, said the repair work has been one fiasco after another: "It is sickening really. Tesfaye has tried to walk away from it and let everyone else take the flack.

"It seems he has stuck himself under the duvet cover hoping it will go away, letting someone else sort his problems out."

After the accident back in January this year Bramble and his mother visited Mrs Chamberlain and apologised and asked her to get a quote for the damage, which was put at around £700.

"His mother signed a piece of paper saying he would pay for it," explained Mrs Chamberlain. After the Chamberlain's came back with a quote, Bramble sent his cousin round to do the work instead.

"I said the wall has got to be taken down and rebuilt and he (the cousin) attacked the wall with a disk cutter," said Mr Chamberlain.

"The outside of the house was all covered in dust. I felt so sorry for him because he did not have a labourer. Bramble had left him to get on with it working until 8 pm at night in the dark. As you can imagine the wall was not level and not upright."

Two more attempts still did not leave the wall back to its previous standard so the frustrated pair had enough and asked him to leave.

"We are both getting fed up with it," said Mr Chamberlain, who was left to clear up the mess. "My mother is a pensioner and I can't believe how much hassle she has had."

Mrs Chamberlain is now thinking of taking the matter though a small claims court to get it put right once and for all.

A member of Bramble's family declined to comment.

Learner driver Bramble, 22, of Beatty Road, appeared in court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to drink driving, driving without insurance, failure to stop after an accident and driving while not in accordance with his provisional licence on January 10 this year.