A DISABLED Swindon shopper is being driven spare by the parking situation in his local supermarket.

Roger Hawkins, 48, of Hawker Road, Eldene, claims disabled parking has become a bigger problem at the Tesco Extra in Ocotal Way since the store stopped using a company to monitor the car park.

He said: "Parking has always been difficult at the store. Now it is even more frustrating. Without the deterrent of surveillance, more able bodied people now take our car park spaces and think they can get away with it."

The Tesco Extra store dispensed with the services of Euro Car Parks earlier this month, which monitored the car park and issued notices to cars parked in the reserved parking bays without displaying an orange badge.

Besides checking the disabled parking bays, the special attendants also kept a record of cars, which were parked on the site for a whole day.

Former lorry driver Mr Hawkins, a regular Tesco customer, suffers from 80 per cent heart failure and struggles to walk even the shortest distances.

He said: "I have lost count of the times I am left sitting in my car waiting for a space. Every time I come shopping, I seem to put my health at risk. I am out of breath and sweating before the shopping has begun."

But Tesco has defended its decision to stop hiring Euro Car Parks at this particular store.

Greg Stage, spokesman for Tesco, said: "There is no real need for Euro Car Parks to manage this store. We have plenty of parking for all our customers."

He said Tesco tends to use Euro Car Parks at its town centre stores, where the free parking facilities can be abused by people parking their cars and going to work.

"The Ocotal Way store is not particularly near the town centre or train station, so its car park does not pose a problem for customers," he added. Mr Stage stressed that Tesco staff now keep a close eye on the car park, especially the bays reserved for shoppers who are disabled or accompanied by toddlers.

Mr Hawkins is not the only person to complain.

Alan Russell, vice chairman of the New Phoenix Disability Resource Centre in Gorse Hill, has boycotted the store because he believes the disabled facilities are inadequate.

He said: "I do not shop there any more because of the problems. Not only is parking always a pain, but wheelchair access to the in store canteen is awful. I shop at Asda Wal-Mart where the facilities are far superior."

And Pam Douglas, 75, from Stratton St Margaret, said: "Speaking as a disabled card holder, I know how frustrating it can be when there are no spaces.

"I have seen young able-bodied people use the allocated bays, but never say anything to them. Patrols are essential to deter people from abusing our facilities."

But Sharyn O'Byrne, chairwoman of the Swindon Coalition of Disabled People claims the supermarkets are not to blame.

"It is a never-ending battle. People think no one will notice if they quickly park in the disabled bays. It is not the supermarket's fault. Some customers are just too selfish and lack respect."