A DISABLED woman has threatened to only travel in her wheelchair by road unless police take action against people blocking footpaths with their cars.
Andrea Elcombe has become so irate with having to take detours because of drivers parking across paths near her home in Pearson Road, Pound Hill, that she has told police she will swap pavements for roads.
The 61-year-old, who suffers from severe back problems, reported the problem to Sussex Police last week but police and the county council are both insisting it is the other’s duty to deal with the issue.
Miss Elcombe said: “These cars are parking across the path and I have to try and squeeze past; it’s very painful.
“I told the police unless they do something I’m using the roads. They said I would be breaking the law by using the road. I said don’t care.
“They (drivers) want to inconvenience disabled people, so I will inconvenience them.”
Miss Elcombe is concerned at the speed with which the issue is being dealt with, given the difficulties she is facing.
She goes to exercise classes at St Barnabus Church, in Worth Road, to help with her condition and keep her supple.
But she has often been unable to get past cars without having to risk going down a steep kerb and into the road.
She said: “I’m having to take a detour and the detour is not really ideal and I shouldn’t have to do that.
“There are lots of spaces for people to park in the road but people just don’t want to pay for parking so they park on their driveways but halfway over the footpath.”
Miss Elcombe added that she isn’t the only person affected as she has seen other disabled and elderly people in the road having similar problems and resorting to using mobility scooters on the road.
Sussex Police have sent PCSOs round to see Miss Elcombe and spoken to one of her neighbours but a spokesman said it was a county council matter.
And Miss Elcombe’s concerns do not look like being addressed as the county council has insisted it is a police matter.
Source: this is Sussex
