'Mindless cattle excrement'! Cambridge academic's verdict on Britain's health and safety culture after falling face first over road sign Dr Peter Lawrence tripped over fallen road sign while walking in the dark He landed face first after tripping over the sign which was on the floor He has now threatened to sue whoever was responsible for the sign An eminent Cambridge academic has criticised the 'mindless cattle excrement' of Britain's health and safety culture after injuring himself on a fallen 'safety' sign. Dr Peter Lawrence, 72, suffered a puncture wound in his leg, a black eye and a knee injury after falling face-first over a roadworks sign which had toppled on to the pavement. The acclaimed biologist has now threatened to sue whoever was responsible for the sign and criticised the culture of health and safety, which led to the sign being placed on the pavement. Dr Peter Lawrence has criticised Britain's health and safety culture after injuring himself when he tripped over a 'safety' sign which had fallen on to the pavement Dr Lawrence has now threated to sue whoever was responsible for the sign Dr Lawrence, author of The Making of a Fly, said: 'It is health and safety gone mad. It is there to warn car drivers about danger and yet is placed on the pavement as a real danger to pedestrians. This is simply more mindless cattle excrement in the form of paperwork that is shoved around Britain nowadays by about a million people for no good reason than to keep them in a job. The incident happened at 6.15pm last Thursday as Dr Lawrence set off in the dark on his journey home. He said: 'I was walking along Downing Street and there was a stupid road sign that had fallen over on the pavement. Dr Lawrence tripped over the warning sign as he made his way home from the university in the dark 'I didn't see it in the dark as a car had obscured the light and I fell over it onto my face. Bits of the metalwork on it dug right into my leg and I have a hole near my knee, a black eye and cuts and bruises. Dr Lawrence also broke his glasses and required treatment at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. He said: 'It is ridiculous there should be so much road sign clutter. It should be illegal. I will be suing whoever is responsible for damages, not only for my injuries but my glasses were broken and they cost £200. But I also want to warn others to take care on pavements and try to get this stopped. The road sign was erected on a flimsy but sharp trestle and had been put on the pavement. Daniel Crockwell, owner of Cambridge Scaffolding, whose traffic management company put up the signs on the orders of Cambridgeshire County Council, said: 'We are governed by what the council tells us to do and are fully authorised and insured to put the signs on the pavement.' A council spokesman declined to comment.