A VISUALLY impaired 93-year-old woman from Orford is pleading for help to ensure parked vehicles stop restricting access outside her home.

Brenda Snelfon, of St Peter's Way, gets picked up by a Warrington VIP (visually impaired people) Centre minibus each week.

But she has become frustrated after the dropped kerb at the front of her property, to allow access for wheelchairs, has regularly been blocked by a parked car.

She has raised the matter with the council and Golden Gates Housing Trust (GGHT) in an effort to bring about a solution.

Cllr Kevin Bennett (TUSC – Fairfield and Howley) has been asked to help and contacted the highways department over the issue.

He claims GGHT and the council have refused to accept responsibility.

"The dropped kerb, which is at the front of her property, leads directly into a parking space which is usually being used at the time the minibus comes to collect her," he said

"Therefore, when the blind centre bus comes to collect Mrs Snelfon it cannot get to where the dropped kerb is and the volunteers have to push Mrs Snelfon the long way around the block.

"This makes her feel like a burden and she has said that she will stop going to the blind centre but the volunteers keep telling her that she is not a burden and they will continue to collect her."

The council said it appreciates the pensioner's 'predicament' and confirmed it will be visiting St Peter's Way soon to assess the situation.

A GGHT spokesman added: "GGHT were not aware of any issue.

"We are now in contact with the council and highways in regards to this issue and are looking for a possible solution – we will be in contact with the tenant."

Cllr Bennett is now calling for the immediate introduction of parking restrictions.

"Highways told me they would send Mrs Snelfon an application form to request parking restriction markings put down to stop the parking in this particular spot," he added.

"Unfortunately, what we didn't realise was that highways wanted £64 to do it – Mrs Snelfon doesn't have that kind of money to spend on something like this.

"What I don't understand is why you would lower a kerb into a parking spot without restricting the parking."