A family is fighting to keep a disabled parking bay outside their house after the council decided to remove it because they already have a garage.

David Martin lives in a busy residential street in Northfleet with his wife Helen and son Andrew. All are disabled, and David says without the parking space they will all struggle to access their home.

David Martin talks about the access to his house

Gravesham council, which allocates the bays on behalf of Kent County Council (KCC), says as the family has a garage at the back of their property, they are not entitled to the reserved space at the front.

The Martin family has lived in Park Avenue, Northfleet, for around 20 years and have had the disabled bay for half that time but after a council review in October, they have been told it is to be removed.

David said: "I am not happy about it. As I have a garage, I am not entitled to a bay but you cannot easily get a car up the driveway. It is a bit silly to me.

"My wife cannot walk up the road. If we go anywhere, I drop her outside (the front)."

He said he struggled to use the garage because of the swing needed to pull into it.

The 76-year-old's wife Helen, 75, suffers from multiple conditions including kidney disease, dementia and osteoporosis which makes it hard for her to walk, especially long distances.

His son Andrew, 48, also relies on the parking space when being picked up for a group he attends and for a family friend, who is also disabled, to use when they visit to help out with his medication.

David, who is partially paralysed in one hand, added: "We are suffering. They do not understand, it is really difficult. I am trying to make some noise and for them to understand my situation.

"I am 76. I am limited to what I can do now. I get in the car and I cannot get back up. Things are not how how it used to be. I am doing bits and pieces but I cannot do what I used to.

"They do not know the situation. Sometimes I cannot get out the alley."

The garage, which under KCC criteria makes them ineligible for a bay, is at the back of the house.

But to use it, you have to drive down a narrow access and walk back round to the front door, or go through the back garden which David said is not ideal and often unsafe.

He said: "I fell down the steps here and I damaged my hips. I was bad for weeks.

"You get to my age and I have worked for what I have got. This is my house and I cannot do what I used to. I just want to access my own house. It is a shame really."

David admits he does often park his car in his garage overnight but took that decision after the vehicle had been vandalised.

Councillor John Burden, leader of Gravesham council whose portfolio includes parking, said: "We administer the allocation of disabled parking bays on behalf of Kent County Council and to criteria set by KCC.

"We are required to carry out a regular audit of disabled parking bays in the borough, and during our most recent review the user of this bay volunteered the information that they regularly park their vehicle in their own garage.

"KCC’s criteria clearly state that if you have regular access to off-road parking, you are not entitled to an on-street disabled parking bay, which is the basis of our decision in this case.

"If the resident disagrees with that decision, they are able to lodge an appeal with Kent County Council."

A KCC spokesman added: "The decision to remove disabled parking bays is taken by district and borough councils, using guidance from KCC.

"If the resident in question feels their off-street parking is not suitable, they can appeal to KCC, which will investigate the full circumstances and take into account the suitability of any off-street parking."