A STROKE victim and his carer wife believe they are being driven out of Peebles following a furious row over a disabled parking bay.

David Aston, who worked as a charted accountant in Winchester before his stroke, suffers from cognitive impairment and restricted movement down the right hand side of his body.

The 47-year-old and his nurse wife Jacki moved to Peebles four years ago.

But they believe their time in the town has hit the end of the road after a decision this week to remove a sanctioned parking bay outside their South Park West home.

Mrs Aston told the Peeblesshire News: "We can't see how we can continue to live here under the circumstances.

"I think it is a disgusting state of affairs when we are given a parking bay to make life easier for my husband and then it is taken away.

"I now have a disabled man here who cannot get in and out of his car safely."

Scottish Borders Council agreed to designate an area next to the Aston's home for a disabled parking bay earlier this year.

But the decision was met with anger by neighbours in the narrow cul-de-sac.

And the local authority's own refuse collection department also lodged an objection against the bay being made permanent through a Traffic Regulation Order.

This week's Tweeddale Area Forum meeting decided, with the casting vote of the chairman, to remove the South Park West bay from the updated TRO.

Mrs Aston added: "I felt the decision was made before we ever entered the meeting.

"It was said that we have a driveway and don't need a parking bay but the driveway is too narrow for my husband's wheelchair... we looked at several ways of widening the driveway but it couldn't be done.

"We also made an agreement with Scottish Borders Council that we wouldn't park in the bay when the refuse lorry came round. This arrangement has worked well ever since."

A dozen letters of objection against the parking bay were lodged with the local authority.

Following complaints that they were discriminatory all of the letters were removed from the council's website.

Local councillor Gavin Logan, along with colleague Keith Cockburn, supported the Aston's case. He said: "In my view Scottish Borders Council put the disabled bay where it is and by doing so set a precedent.

"The idea of a disabled parking bay is to make life easier for people with disabilities, and this bay made life easier for David Aston.

"If there hadn't been any objections from neighbours this bay would have been made permanent."

During Wednesday evening's meeting Councillor Stuart Bell excused himself from the committee to make his objections to the parking space from the public benches.

And only the casting vote of chairman Willie Archibald following a two-all split had South Park West removed from the proposed TRO.

Councillor Archibald said: "It was with some trepidation that I used my casting vote.

"The officers' recommendations were concerned with road traffic management and nothing else. This bay was causing difficulties for delivery lorries and the refuse lorry."

Councillor Bell added: "The officers recommended the removal of the bay and that was upheld by the committee.

"It is sad that Mr Aston has such a disability but it was felt that the bay was not appropriate at that location.

"The Astons have a drive which they can use, and there was also great concern about the refuse lorry not being able to turn when a car is parked in the bay.

"The advice given to all refuse lorry drivers is that they should avoid reversing as much as possible as it is highly dangerous."

Police are still investigating a vandalism attack on Mr Aston's car when it was parked in the bay at the end of last month.