A Bolton woman who uses a wheelchair has described the “terrifying” moment she fell out of her chair outside her home because a car was parked partly on the pavement.

Carlene Kirton lives on Campbell Street, Farnworth, in a row of bungalows which are for people who have mobility issues.

But she came home from her job as a welfare rights officer recently to discover that a car had parked on the pavement covering the path which would allow her to get to her house on her wheelchair.

At the time there were six unoccupied parking spaces nearby.

The 41-year-old then mounted the grass verge in an attempt to get past the parked car, but the right hand side of her device lost its grip and so she fell into the road.

Mrs Kirton, who has cerebral palsy was unable to reach for her mobile as it was inside her handbag on her right hand side.

However a neighbour spotted what had gone on and her husband Rikki came out and helped her.

Mrs Kirton described the experience and said there were other issues for people with mobility issues in the area.

She said: “It was terrifying.

“There is no drop kerb that I could have gone down on.

“I think they need to consider more drop kerbs.

“There were six car parking spaces available that makes it worse.

“It is about raising awareness of this, it is not just me it is the other people who life here or mum’s with buggies who can’t get past.”

She said that a the lack of drop kerbs she has to travel longer to get to work.

Mrs Kirton has been completing this journey back and forth to work on her wheelchair for the past fifteen years.

The issue of parking on pavements was recently raised at a Police and Communities Together (PACT) meeting in Farnworth.

Ward councillor Sue Haworth, who was at the meeting,  pointed to a possible forthcoming change to legistlation which she said would be as transformational as the smoking ban.

Under this a pavement parking ban could come into place outside London with enforcement responsibilities would be given to individual boroughs.

Cllr Haworth said: "It is a game changer.

"It is a big issue for residents.

"It is councils who will be enforcers.

It is a massive change so you cannot park on the pavement any more."