A DISABLED man has said he is disgusted he has been forced to stop shopping on Broadway in Bexleyheath because there is nowhere for him to park.

Eighty-year-old John Brooks says disabled parking slots in the area are constantly full and with the Royal Oak Road car park closed, he cannot shop in the area any longer.

Mr Brooks, of Albany Park, has lived in Bexleyheath for 27 years. His two hip replacements mean he needs to be near the town centre to do his shopping.

He said: “I think it is disgusting. There are a lot of blue badge parkers in Bexley but there’s nowhere for us to park.

“Often you have to wait for two or three hours for a space to free up.

“I’m not going to go to Bexleyheath anymore, I’m going to go to Sidcup or Eltham instead. Bexleyheath is going to suffer because of this because there are lots of us.”

Bexley Council approved the demolition of Royal Oak Road car park in April 2011.

Construction has begun on a new 109 bed hotel which will include a car park with 71 spaces.

A spokeswoman for campaigning organisation Transport for All, Lianna Etkind, said: “Unless town centres are accessible to all, they are not really public spaces, and adequate blue badge spaces are an important part of this.

“Disabled people have the right to travel with the freedom and independence that everyone else enjoys.”

A Bexley Council spokeswoman said the council does not run Royal Oak Car Park but provides 59 blue badge spaces in Bexleyheath town centre.

She added that blue badge holders can park for free in all council run car parks unless signposted otherwise.