A DISABLED North Ayrshire resident claims he was discriminated against and mocked at the council-run recycling plant in Irvine.

The wheelchair user says he turned up in his specially adapted van to dispose of household waste at the Bartonholm site on Sandy Road, only to be told he needed a commercial permit because of the size of the vehicle.

The man has to use the van to transport his wheelchair, and the vehicle does have a Blue Badge.

North Ayrshire Council said they were taking the complaint "extremely seriously" but said it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.

The man said: "They were mocking me and being extremely cheeky. It is discrimination."

He points out that if his van was registered for use at the recycling plant, it would limit the number of times he could visit each year.

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “We take any allegation of this nature extremely seriously and any complaint against a council employee or employees is investigated thoroughly.

"It would be inappropriate to comment further on this specific case at this stage.

“With regards the access issue, the vehicle was larger than was allowed without a permit, although the attendants did allow his waste to be disposed of on this occasion, and tried to explain that he would need to apply for a permit for future visits.

“Permits for vans and trailers are free of charge and are available from www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk.

"The permit system is in place to prevent commercial customers using the site and prevent excessive amounts of waste being deposited."