A Darlington pensioner who was injured after tripping on a raised paving stone is calling for drivers to think before they park on the pavement.
Dave Kilvert, 88, was injured after he tripped and fell on a raised paving stone between Hartford Road and Cleveland Terrace while he was walking into Darlington town centre last month.
Thankfully, Mr Kilvert walked away with only minor injuries.
He said: "It took me three or four weeks to get over the bruising, but it could have been a lot worse.
"That experience highlighted to me that while walking into town, there are a lot of places where only half of the pavement is available because people park on the road which damages the paving stones and raises them at odd angles."
Mr Kilvert, who lives in Darlington, said he now has to be cautious when he is walking.
"I’ve been afraid since then, I used to walk briskly but I’ve had to slow down now.
"Now when I’m walking on a pavement I walk close to the wall so if I did trip, I might have the possibility of holding on to something."
Mr Kilvert, who was a civil servant for 20 years, says he worries about how pavement parking affects other people.
"Parents with pushchairs, people with mobility scooters and people who are visually impaired are in the back of my mind now, they’re having to negotiate the pavement that’s only half as wide as it should be.
"The road is wide enough to accommodate four cars, so why do you need to park on the pavement?
"I can understand parking on a pavement to a degree, when the road isn’t big enough to accommodate all the cars, but on that road, it’s unnecessary."
The great-grandfather says drivers should think before they park on the pavement.
"People ought to take responsibility and do things responsibly.
"I was lucky - it could have been a lot worse."
This story comes after the BBC produced a report that said pavement parking is encouraged by local councils.
The BBC asked every council whether they allowed pavement parking - and Darlington Borough Council responded to say it does not.
A Darlington Borough Council spokesperson told The Northern Echo: "Motorists do not have a legal right to park on grass verges or pavements.
"Where waiting restrictions are in place such as double or single yellow lines, motorists cannot avoid these restrictions by parking on the adjacent pavement or grass verge, and enforcement action can be taken.
"We encourage all motorists to park responsibly and to consider the needs of others road users and pedestrians.
"In partnership with the police, the council can address parking that is considered dangerous or obstructive and vehicles parked in this manner can be reported by calling 01325 406999 or emailing customerservices@darlington.gov.uk."
In January this year, following a public consultation, the Minister for Local Transport, Lilian Greenwood made a statement about the future of pavement parking.
She said that local transport authorities will be granted the power to prohibit pavement parking at the next opportunity.
In the meantime, local authorities are allowed to enforce against ‘unnecessary obstruction of the pavement’.
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