Visitors to the island say their holiday has been spoilt by works on Douglas Promenade.

Joyce Cooper, 69, described the current temporary pedestrian diversions on Douglas promenade as ’impossible to circumnavigate’ and summarised her family’s experience as a ’horrendous nightmare.’

Mrs Cooper visited from Suffolk for a holiday with her husband Brian and father Alan King.

Mr King, who is 97 years old, is a D-Day veteran who served with the East Riding Yeomanry as a radio operator in Sherman tanks, and is dependent on the use of a wheelchair to get around.

Mrs Cooper said: ’Although in very small print we were warned of promenade roadworks, nothing could have prepared us for the horrendous nightmare which we were about to face.

’Apart from being woken early each morning by the road work contractors, we found the pedestrian diversions impossible to circumnavigate.

’On a few occasions very understanding kind local people stopped to help us navigate the way forward.

’I found the new paving incredibly high and problematic to ascend and descend with a wheelchair occupied by a vulnerable adult.’

Mrs Cooper said she injured her back and knees through their attempts to manoeuvre Mr King’s wheelchair around and it was damaged on the visit, and is now in need of repair.

Mrs Cooper criticised the current lack of dropped kerbs in corresponding positions across the highway, which she said puts wheelchair users and mothers with prams in ’treacherous’ situations when attempting to cross the road through the traffic.

In addition, the garden area in the middle of the promenade was described as inaccessible for disabled wheelchair users.

She said: ’We walked through the garden area further down the prom. After walking through to the fountain, [we found] we had to turn back as there were only steps to exit this area and no disabled slope - and no advisory signs to warn us.

’Needless to say we found the whole seafront at Douglas a complete mess, designed by those who would appear to be clueless regarding disability.’

Mrs Cooper has lodged a formal complaint with the government, who issued a prompt rebuttal - directing her instead to contact Auldyn Construction Limited and Douglas Council, stating that the areas mentioned in her complaint were not the government’s responsibility.

She said: ’The negative response I have encountered from the Isle of Man Government is completely opposite to the reaction of the kind understanding local residents, who were more than willing to help. I consider the local residents are presently being let down by those employed to serve them.’

The Isle of Man Examiner contacted Auldyn Construction for comment but at the time of this issue going to press it was yet to respond, and had not yet responded to Mrs Cooper.

A spokesperson for Douglas Council said: ’The council is aware that certain gardens are not currently disabled friendly and there are plans to improve such access.

’At its last meeting the executive committee agreed a number of measures to improve the gardens and disabled access to those who do not currently have it was included as part of a wider set of measures.

’At present there isn’t a timeframe for when the upgrades will be made.’

Mrs Cooper did go on to praise the island’s coach excursions, ’wonderful trains’ and the Isle of Man Military Museum.

She has appealed for the government or contractors to fund a replacement wheelchair, and hopes islanders will show her their full support.

Joyce Cooper, 69, described the current temporary pedestrian diversions on Douglas promenade as ’impossible to circumnavigate’ and summarised her family’s experience as a ’horrendous nightmare.’