York council leader hospitalised with broken ribs after accident

York’s council leader is recovering after an accident left him in hospital.

Cllr Ian Gillies fell in the city centre and sustained a broken nose and three fractured ribs.

The 72-year-old leader of the Conservative Group was on Parliament Street on Saturday, July 7 when the accident happened.

He had just taken his grandchildren for breakfast when he tripped, close to Barclays Bank. The council leader was taken to hospital for treatment.

But despite his injuries he didn’t miss a meeting last week.

“I’m 72 years old and I’ve never been signed off in my working life,” he told YorkMix. “It’s been quite a struggle.”

‘Sue himself’

Cllr Gillies is now planning to take a week away from the council offices and work from home, to aid his recovery. He has been told the fractured ribs will take four to six weeks to heal.

He was also offered corrective surgery to his broken nose, but declined saying: “I quite like the rugged look – I have a nose that’s crooked!” he joked.

Cllr Gillies also said people had joked he could “sue himself” if he had tripped over a damaged paving stone – but said it was just a freak accident.

He lives in Upper Poppleton and has been on the council for more than a decade, having first been elected in May 2007.

He represents the Rural West York ward, is a former director of Visit York, and was Lord Mayor in 2014-15.

Cllr Gillies took over as leader of City of York Council in March after David Carr stood down after losing the support of the Conservative Group.