A DISABLED man says the delay in opening a new footbridge at Kidderminster Railway Station is “ridiculous” and makes catching the train “a nightmare” for him.

Dave Clamp, 58, who had both legs amputated after suffering complications with diabetes, said the ramp on the Worcester-bound platform, leading up to the current bridge, caused him “major problems” and climbing it left him “completely exhau-sted”.

Mr Clamp, who has two artificial legs, said he preferred to walk rather than use a wheelchair or motorised scooter but found it difficult to get up the ramp.

He felt the problem would be solved by the long-awaited new bridge but the opening, originally scheduled for the end of 2008, has been delayed.

The latest hold-up has been caused by floor tiles on the bridge being too slippery, Mr Clamp claimed.

He explained: “I was delighted when I first found out about the bridge being built and I thought it would make life a lot easier for me.

“It has been one delay after the other, though. First of all the excuse was that the wrong stair treads had been used and needed to be replaced.

“Then came the excuse that the alarm in the lifts at the new bridge had not been connected to the ticket office. At this stage, I wrote to Network Rail and had a reply saying that there were problems but, hopefully, they were being sorted out and the bridge would be opened on February 19.

“Now someone in the ticket office has told me the floor tiles are too slippery. It makes you wonder, is this the first bridge Network Rail has ever built?”

Mr Clamp visits Birmingham once a week to go shopping and said the steep ramp was “almost impossible” for him to climb when he returned.

He went on: “Sometimes, I have even stayed on the train as far as Droitwich, then got a train back to Kidderminster, so I’m on the other side of the station.

“When I’ve complained about it, I’ve been told people in the ticket office could push me up the ramp in a wheelchair.

“There are usually only two girls in the ticket office, though, and I wouldn’t expect them to push a 16-stone man like me up there.

“It’s not a convenient solution, especially when there’s a new footbridge that should have been open a long time ago.”

A spokeswoman for Network Rail admitted the bridge had been due to open at the end of 2008.

She explained work was being carried out to make the bridge comply with the Disability Discrimination Act and said it would be in use by the end of March.