A disabled and bed-bound pensioner feels ‘worse off than a dog’ after her request for French Doors in her bedroom was refused by Oxfordshire County Council.

Patricia Casbeard, 73, who has no use of her legs due to a range of illnesses - including breast cancer, heart failure, and arthritis – claimed the garden-facing doors would act as a fire exit and improve the natural light in the bedroom of her Didcot home.

The council told Ms Casbeard in a letter on April 20 that the adaptation was ‘not essential’ as there was already an emergency exit point - her front door - and access to her garden through a side gate.

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Ms Casbeard, who has lived in Didcot since the 1980s, said: “I feel worse off than a dog. I am being treated badly. I’m shut up. I can’t access my garden.

“I just cry because I can’t do anything.”

Her son Garry, 50, said the current bedroom window was ‘insufficient’ and left the room in darkness until the sun changed position in the afternoon.

He said: “I thought if mum wasn’t feeling very well, the French Doors would give her fresh air, especially in the good months when it’s nice and sunny.”

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Mr Casbeard said he worried constantly for his mother's safety if a fire broke out at her home, as he deemed the current fire exit too far away.

He has complained to the council and Soha Housing, his mother’s housing association, about the lack of support for his disabled mother.

“The whole thing has really upset and disgusted me. My mum’s being treated no better than a caged dog," he said.

“She is human being with rights, same as everyone else in this world, and I feel she’s being treated really badly by Soha and the council.

“It scares me getter old now. I’d rather do myself in”

A spokeswoman for the council said: “We work with a range of partners including health organisations, charities, district and city councils and housing associations, to support people to live well, within their own community for as long as possible. It’s something we call the Oxfordshire Way.

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“Our Occupational Therapists offer expert support and advice to enable people to live as independently as possible in their own homes. This involves working with both housing associations and district and city councils to authorise changes.

“While we cannot comment on specific details, we have carried out a thorough investigation into Mr Casbeard’s complaint and responded to him, highlighting the reasons why we unfortunately cannot recommend carrying out the requested alterations.”

Jude McCaffrey, head of housing at Soha, said: “We are committed to practical support for residents with a disability, from finding appropriate housing for new tenants to making adjustments to the homes of existing ones.”