A disability rights campaigner has blasted wheelchair accessibility in Inishowen.

John Riordan from Kinnego has also left Fine Gael saying he no longer wants to be in a party that he claims ignores the disabled.

Last Thursday night, Inishowen Fine Gael held a district executive meeting at the Strand Hotel in Ballyliffin.

Wheelchair-bound Mr Riordan parked in a disabled space but couldn’t get into the hotel because another driver had parked over the access lane.

Mr Riordan said he has complained to the hotel’s staff about disability access on several occasions over the last number of years.

He said he has asked management to piant a yellow-grid box over the access area before.

He said: “The hotel promised to paint the box two years ago. They’ve done nothing.

“I don’t want to be in a party that doesn’t care about the disabled. I told [FG councillor] Bernard McGuinness that I would be contacting the party’s head office to cancel my membership.

“At the next election I won’t be out campaigning for [Donegal North East TD] Joe McHugh: I’ll be campaigning for whoever is standing against him.

Mr Riordan said: “All the supermarkets in Buncrana – SuperValu, Eurospar, Aldi and Lidl – have superb disability access. If the supermarkets can do it, why can’t the hotels?”

Councillor McGuinness said: “Just after John parked at the hotel, he drew my attention to the car parked in the access way. I immediately informed management and they got the owner to move it within two minutes.

“The hotel management acted swiftly ­– but John was in an agitated state and had left before the car was shifted. We’re talking about only a matter of seconds. This is no big issue.”

Strand Hotel deputy manager Martin Doherty said: “With reference to Mr Riordan’s complaint, we have taken it on board and actually contracted a company to paint the yellow grid on the access lanes on our disabled parking area.

“The reason why it is not actually done yet is that they are waiting on reasonable weather to do it.

“We do take disability needs seriously and we feel that our hotel is adequately equipped to cater for them.

“But if there is a complaint made, we respect their comments and do our best to rectify it.”