A Brecon man has told how pavement parking is preventing him from visiting parts of his own town.

Nick Lancaster, who is blind and uses his guide dog Benje to get around, says cars blocking pavements make some shops and businesses completely inaccessible to him.

“In my town there is little off-street parking, so whenever I leave my home I know I will come across vehicles parked on the pavement somewhere in my journey,” he said.

“It is stressful not knowing where or when I am going to come across a blocked pavement and if I can get around it or have to backtrack and use an alternative route, if that is even possible. This leads to me missing buses, medical appointments or even just not being able to do some food shopping.

“There are parts of my town that for the safety of my guide dog and myself are no-go areas, meaning there are shops and businesses local to me that I have never visited.”

Mr Lancaster is supporting a campaign by the charity Guide Dogs for a UK-wide law to tackle pavement parking, which is already restricted in Scotland and London.

New research by the charity shows people in Wales overwhelmingly back tougher action.

Vehicles parked on pavements can force pedestrians, including those with sight loss, into the road. According to Guide Dogs, 83 per cent of Welsh respondents to its survey said they had been forced into the road because of vehicles blocking the pavement.

The survey also found 64 per cent of Welsh councillors thought current powers were insufficient to deal with the problem, while more than half said the rules were either too costly or too impractical to enforce. By contrast, three-quarters of councillors in areas where restrictions already exist said they were confident in tackling the issue. The corresponding figure is just 15 per cent in Wales.

Transport in Wales is devolved, and Welsh Government minister Ken Skates has pledged to continue working with local authorities and the UK Government to strengthen action on pavement parking. But in the meantime, blind and partially sighted people, and other vulnerable pedestrians, are put at risk.

Eleanor Briggs, Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns at Guide Dogs, said: “Local leaders are clear: pavement parking is unsafe, the current system just isn’t working across most of the country, and a clear law is needed to make sure everyone can travel down their streets safely, particularly people with sight loss.”