A disabled man is calling for greater consideration from motorists because he is "risking life and limb" going on to busy roads in his wheelchair to avoid cars parked on the pavements.

Robert Light, 63, of Cowley Road, East Oxford, is fed up with drivers' inconsiderate parking along Cowley Road.

One day, a kindly passer-by went out into the road to halt traffic so that Mr Light could get past cars which had blocked the pavement.

Mr Light suffers from severe sciatica, arthritis and osteoporosis in his spine, pelvis and hips.

He said: "It's a recurring problem, in East Oxford and nationally.

"People park up on the pavements and over dropped kerbs, and make it impossible for a wheelchair or a children's buggy to get past.

"Cowley Road is a very busy road and it's very dangerous for me to keep having to go out on to the road to get past cars.

"Drop kerbs exist so that wheelchairs and buggies can get up and down on to the pavement, and without a drop kerb I can't get on to the pavement.

"I find it really infuriating that people have such little consideration for others.

"I think there should be higher fines - I'd like to see £100 fine, not a £30 fine.

"I went to Cowley police station and they told me to go around writing down all the registration numbers down and then they will write to the car owners and warn them.

"But that's not my job - why should I have to spend my time doing this? Control Plus should have more powers to stop people from parking on drop kerbs.

"They only give tickets to people when they have parked on double yellow lines. I feel like I am banging my head against a brick wall.

"I just want people to wake up and realise what they are doing. Their actions really do affect others."

Helen Crozier, the county council's parking manager, said: "It is not a specific contravention to park on the footway.

"The only possible action that could be taken is by the police for obstruction, and then only if they had evidence to support a prosecution in a magistrates' court."

She added that the Department for Transport had been looking into the problem, and she hoped guidelines would be issued once the study was complete.