HE HAS done everything he can to help disabled customers access his shop - but it's not good enough for city bureaucrats.

Mukesh Patel installed a ramp to make it easier for wheelchair users to get into his shop in Southampton.

But now the ramp will have to be ripped out after city planners refused to authorise it - leaving wheelchair-users no chance of entering the Park Road newsagent in Freemantle.

The row blew up when council officers inspected the ramp and said it was too steep for wheelchairs.

It is a one-in-five-metre gradient whereas wheelchairs officially require a low slope of just one in 12.

Council officers admitted that there was no way of creating a shallower slope because there was not enough room - but the controversial ramp went before bosses.

Councillor Jeremy Moulton, speaking on behalf of Mr Patel, told the meeting: "The choice is leaving it or removing it. If you remove it, you are not doing anything to aid disabled access to the shop. You are making it harder, if not impossible."

He added that 500 customers had signed a petition to save the slope.

Planning committee member Councillor Alec Samuels said: "This man did the best he could within the constraints. A wheelchair might struggle with the steepness, but can a wheelchair negotiate steps?

"The consequence of this is that he removes the ramp and nobody who's disabled can get in. At least with the ramp, some disabled people can get into the shop. If you refuse this I think it's barmy, stupid and, even worse, it's oppressive."

But other planning committee members stuck to planning rules and turned down the application by four votes to one.

Mr Patel told the Daily Echo afterwards: "I haven't caused anybody harm, the ramp is on my own property and I put it in to help my customers, so what's the problem? The fact that this is being discussed by the council and taking up officers' time is a waste of public money."