A BLIND military veteran says inconsiderate parking is putting his and his guide dog’s lives at risk.

Mark Lucitt is severely sight impaired and relies on guide dog Yoda to get around.

But he says that increasingly, his walks around Upton Upon Severn are becoming more dangerous because of people parking on pavements.

“Cars and lorries being parked on pavements forces me and my guide dog into oncoming traffic,” said Mr Lucitt.

“Sometimes it is someone parking on the kerb while they go into a shop, but they will park over the dropped kerbs with bumps - that’s where me and Yoda cross the road.”

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And even when Mr Lucitt and Yoda feel they’ve found a safe place to cross, they often find vehicles blocking their way on the other side of the road.

“Yoda will have to go left and right and sometimes have to go past three or four cars before he can get me to the pavement,” Mr Lucitt said.

“Some days it can be clear all the way into town, other days there can be three or four vehicles blocking the way, one of them an artic lorry or a big van.

“They may be making deliveries but that doesn’t give them the right to be on the path.”

Mr Lucitt, a former soldier, lost his sight 10 years ago and in the following months also suffered a stroke that left him paralysed on his left-hand side.

“I got walking again four months later and now we walk between two and four miles every day,” he said, adding that getting a guide dog made a “huge difference” to his life.

“Yoda is my eyes,” he said. “And when people park inconsiderately it’s not only putting my life in danger - it’s his life as well.

“And it’s not just us. It’s also making it more difficult for people in wheelchairs and parents with pushchairs.”

Upton county and district councillor Martin Allen said: "I fully sympathise with Mark.

"I have persuaded the parking enforcement team to come to Upton a minimum of three times a week, all unanounced and one after 6pm.

"I have been out and seen more warden tickets going on windscreens, but it's very frustrating seeing cars parked illegally, especially people parking in disabled parking spaces.

"People need to stop and think."