An art student at South Thames College has been left devastated and upset after the college removed the nearest disabled parking areas.

Esam Hamzeh, 65, from Fallsbrook Road, Streatham, has been an art and painting student at the Tooting Broadway college since 2003. She suffers from several disabilities, which means she struggles to walk long distances.

Mrs Hamzeh used the disabled parking areas at the back of the college, but the college has now decided to remove these parking spaces, meaning she must park much further.

She said: “I have to walk with crutches and have broken my legs four times. I can’t walk long distances and taking the disabled parking zones away means I must park my car far and walk to the college.

“This causes me immense pain and has meant that since this happened I haven’t been able to go to college. They gave me no reason for getting rid of the spaces. It is really upsetting that this has happened, I am distraught and feel neglected.”

Ms Hamzeh, who had a kidney transplant in 2005 after she began suffering from chronic infections, said she began painting after falling ill in 1998 because it helped ease her physical pain.

South Thames College confirmed Mrs Hamzeh is a student at the Tooting campus, which is located above Sainsbury’s on Tooting High Street.

A spokesperson said: "The car park is owned and controlled by Euro Car Parks on behalf of Sainsbury’s. There are two disabled bays there which are opposite the delivery door which students can use, although these can also be used by any other blue badge holder who comes into the car park as they cannot be reserved.

"Student Services therefore advise blue badge holder students to use any of the disabled bays in the car park, if these two bays are full, of which 10 are available. College security would then validate their tickets on a daily basis.

"South Thames College is fully committed to the rights of all students and supporting them with their learning in any way that we can. If Mrs Hamzeh would like to contact Ben Rowe, Assistant Principal Student Services and Marketing, we can clarify the situation again with her directly."