Ref. 72607-09CEREBRAL Palsy sufferer Tim French fears that following the closure of a disabled-friendly petrol station he will struggle to fill up his car.

The 54-year-old wrote letters to Esso begging them not to shut their garage in Swindon Road, Stratton St Margaret, but it has now been fenced off, boarded up and the pumps have been taken away.

Its layout allowed the former Old Central School pupil, who has trouble walking, to get fuel and then drive up to the kiosk to pay.

But now whenever his car is nearing empty he has to rely on his partner Kathryn Hawk, 34, to help him.

"I don't know what I'll do if she is ever away," said Mr French, of Shaplands, who used to work at Swindon distribution firm Howard Tenens.

"None of the other petrol stations in the area are as easy for me to use. I wrote a letter to the manager at the garage to say they should not shut it and that I was prepared to take action.

"I then had a phone call telling me they were shutting it but they would try to open it again at a later date."

Stratton St Margaret parish councillor David Roberts believes the petrol station site will now be sold to the highest bidder.

"If it is sold I would like to see being redeveloped for recreation or for low cost affordable housing," he said.

It is believed Esso, which has another garage in nearby Dorcan Way, made some staff redundant when the station was closed on September 24.

A spokesman for Esso said the garage was closed because it was no longer financially viable.

"We regret any inconvenience caused to our customers,'' he said.