A DISABLED pensioner has been left “stranded” by the double yellow lines in his road.

Alex Mellon said many of the friends who used to visit his Bournemouth home in Richmond Park Road no longer come round as they have too far to walk after finding a parking space.

The 69-year-old said he understood having parking restrictions but is calling on the council to allow parking in the evening and on weekends on one side.

Alex said: “It has totally made me feel like I’m stranded.

“Nobody can visit without having to park half a mile away.

“So I don’t have hardly anybody visiting me apart from my carer now.

“I’ve had two friends visit in the last four or five months.”

Alex suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, affecting his lungs, but he still does voluntary publicity work for the Rallye Sunseeker car race.

Double yellow lines were already in place on the northern side of the road before the council added the lines on the southern side.

But Alex said having them on both sides makes it difficult for residents.

He said: “Where I live there are 12 flats and 12 spaces. Quite a few of the flats have couples in and they often have a second car that they have to park further away.

“It’s a complete farce.”

The council received 12 letters of support and 22 objections as well as a 73 name petition against the lines being added.

Ken Hobbs, principal traffic engineer, said the restrictions were implemented to improve road safety and enhance journey times.

He said: “Before implementing the parking restrictions we consulted with a number of stakeholders including local residents and the local bus operators.

“During this process a number of concerns were raised with regards to road safety, in particular for residents and cyclists.

“Both major bus operators supported the restrictions as it would help deliver more efficient journeys within this area.”