A wheelchair-bound pensioner has spoken of how his holiday ended in " total frustration", after claiming parking restrictions at Belfast International Airport prevented him from being collected at the disabled bay.
Jim Verner (74), from north Belfast, said he had to be wheeled into one of the main airport car parks with his luggage after his taxi driver was prevented from stopping at the disabled parking bay outside the terminal.
Mr Verner, who suffers from blood clots in his legs, said he was lucky the taxi driver and a police officer helped him to the car and carried his luggage.
However the pensioner, who had just returned from Spain on January 19, added that he felt "very, very angry" about the situation. "I phoned my local taxi firm to come and pick me up and take me home," he said.
"I couldn't see any sign of the taxi. So I called the policeman at the airport to ask if he could wheel me to a disabled bay."
Mr Verner finally spotted the taxi driver and asked him what was happening.
"He said, 'We are not allowed to come here any more, Jim. We have to go into a car park'.
"I said, 'How am I going to get round, I am in a wheelchair?' The taxi driver then wheeled me back to the car, and the policeman carried my suitcase."
Mr Verner said he is worried he will face further difficulties with access at the airport as he visits Spain three or four times a year.
An airport spokeswoman said they apologised to Mr Verner for the inconvenience.
"There are disabled parking bays in the short stay car park next to the pick up facility and two bays at the set down," she said. " Although we would encourage all passengers to get picked up in the pick up facility, we are understanding of the needs of disabled passengers and apologise that Mr Verner was prevented from being picked up from one of the two bays in the set down zone.
"However, due to the space constraints, operational and health and safety issues it is hoped that drivers are understanding that parking in the set down zone cannot be tolerated.
"Although understanding the needs of disabled passengers, this applies to the disabled bays in the set down zone as well.
"Parking is monitored sensitively and only drivers parked in the disabled bays for an excessive time period will be asked to move into the pick up facility."
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