CARERS and parents have hit out at leisure centre bosses after disabled parking bays were ‘repeatedly blocked’ by staff during a disabled swimming club session.

Staff have reportedly been parking in the way of the disability spaces at Ferry Leisure Centre on Saturday mornings when it hosts the Swans Swimming Club for the disabled and elderly.

Christine Witcher takes her daughter Jenna, 30, who has Down’s syndrome, learning disabilities and complex epilepsy, as well as two other disabled adults to the sessions in Summertown each week.

The 53-year-old, from Kidlington, said she and a number of other carers had complained to the centre’s manager and staff but had no apology.

She said: “I have found the whole thing very offensive to be honest, disabled people and their carers have enough on their plates.

“When we have asked staff to move they have grumbled about it and one even said the staff had a right to free parking there.”

She added: “It’s an insult and feels as if they are saying they are much more important than disabled people and it does feel discriminatory.”

“Last Saturday Jenna had electrical sensors on her head and couldn’t get wet - it was raining and I started to panic as we couldn’t park close to entrance , it was the final straw.”

She also drives Ann Pittick, who is physically disabled, and her son Sam, who has Down’s syndrome, to the sessions and said they had also complained.

Another centre user Cameran Ghafor also raised the issue on the centre’s Facebook page.

It is believed staff have not been able to park in the existing staff car parking facility for a number of months.