A 70 year old man says Kingsbridge is a nightmare for people in wheelchairs.

Jerry Kew became paraplegic because of a radiation problem seven months ago and he says the town is also highly challenging for mothers with prams and delivery drivers with sack trucks.

Jerry described some of the problems: “There's a pathway through from opposite Creek's End that runs to Ebrington Street.

“At the end of that pathway, there's a fence, which has been put up there for safety, to prevent bicycles speeding or skateboards hurtling into the road.

“However, when I get to the end of there, and I want to turn right, I have to walk 30 yards to the left to find a drop kerb, so I can get into the road.”

Jerry continued: “Going down from Fore Street right to Duncombe Street and finally down towards where I live we can see the most egregious problems.

“I have to go out into the road a little way to get up the road towards the Museum, finally crossing the road above Duncombe Street and then going down.

“No tourist in a wheelchair is going to find that.

“Every mother with a pram, you're asking them to push it even further uphill.

The biggest problem is when Jerry turns right onto Church Street as he says: “You travel 20, 30 metres and then you hit a brick wall, and a huge curb with no drop.

“You have to turn around and go back into Duncombe Street, down to the zebra crossing, turn into the road, and then drive in the middle of the road to get round into Church Street.

“You finally get back onto there, and there's no markings on the road to at least give some priority so it's downright scary.

“I go right into the middle with the safety lights on the wheelchair.

“When you get to the other side we get the final indignity.

“We join Church Street and suppose I wanted to go to the Dodbrook Inn, there's a zebra crossing and on the other side of that is a little staircase there is no ramp.

“I have to go right down to the Regal Club and back up. An entire part of Kingsbridge is a no-go area.”

A DCC spokesperson said: “We thank Mr Kew for his observations and we are sorry to hear of his struggles to navigate many of the town’s pavements and footways.

“When designing a new scheme, we follow the Government’s inclusive mobility guidelines, and that includes working with disability groups.

“However, given that many of Devon’s historic communities, such as Kingsbridge, have narrow pavements we recognise that there are issues and not all pavements are easy to access as they should be for those with mobility and sight issues.

“Without a new scheme local teams are provided a small budget for Aids to Movement features so if you have a concern about a specific issue in your community you can report it at: https://tinyurl.com/5a4xum6w or alternatively you can raise it with your local county councillor and we will investigate.”