Lower Hutt mayor Ray Wallace blasted by wheelchair user for parking branded car on footpath

A photo of Mayor Ray Wallace's car parked partly over the footpath has drawn the ire of locals. Photo / Facebook

An angry wheelchair user has blasted Lower Hutt's mayor after spotting his branded car blocking part of the footpath.

Mayor Ray Wallace has apologised "unreservedly" in a statement for the poor parking, and says he has now been issued a ticket and has paid it.

The anonymous poster put a photo on Facebook of Mayor Ray Wallace's sign-written council vehicle parked diagonally, partially covering the footpath.

"How would he like to swap my wheelchair for his car? This is shocking," the poster said.

"Maybe if I post here someone will actually apologise to those of us who have limited mobility and rely on footpaths not being obstructed," they wrote.

Their photo has been screenshotted and shared to other Facebook groups, drawing ire from locals.

The poster said they had emailed Wallace and traffic enforcement about the way the car had been parked, but nothing was done.

The photo was taken on Moohan St in Wainuiomata, but it is not clear when.

The wheelchair user's photo has been shared around social media. Photo / Facebook

In an emailed statement, Wallace said he apologised for the distress the issue caused.

"When I parked I did look to make sure there was room to get past but acknowledge that someone in a wheelchair may have struggled," he said.

"Our enforcement people have issued a ticket and I have paid this.

"This won't happen again and I thank everyone, including anyone who may have been affected by my actions, for advocating on behalf of our disabled in our community."

The infringement fee for parking on footpaths is $40.