A BUTCHER has blasted council bosses over the parking restrictions introduced in Kilmacolm.

Douglas Graham of Blackwood's says his business has been operating fine over the last three months and the new pedestrian safety measures introduced by Inverclyde Council on Monday are 'pointless'.

Council bosses acted to extend pavement areas by blocking off parking spaces with cones.

They said the measure was necessary to safeguard customers and keep them within the two-metre social distancing rules.

Mr Graham, who has run the award-winning butchers for 35 years and worked in the shop even longer, said: "People need to park their cars to shop local.

"I've got a lot of elderly customers and for one lady it was the first time she had been out in four months and she couldn't get parked.

"She had to drive down to the station, instead of in front of the shop."

The businessman is bemused by the changes as he measured the pavement outside his shop and says it is three metres wide anyway.

He said: "The shop has been operating throughout the lockdown period and we have managed fine.

"Social distancing has been adhered to.

"This is a pointless exercise."

Members of the public have reacted angrily to the council's decision.

Mr Graham, pictured, said: "There are 103 comments on a village Facebook page about the parking.

"How can you shop local, if you can't get a parking space?

"I took a drive the other night through Lochwinnoch, Kilbarchan, Johnstone and Kilbirnie and there was nothing like this.

"Inverclyde Council needs to take a sensible approach - we managed fine for the last three months."

The local authority today defended its position.

A council spokesman said: “Inverclyde was ready for shops opening on Monday.

“We followed government guidance to ensure that social-distancing could be maintained on our pavements.

“Following the experience of trading over two days, we are reducing the measures in a number of locations including Kilmacolm.

“We ask everyone to respect the two-metre social-distancing rule.

“It is still important that we keep our village and town centres safe to ensure that coronavirus doesn’t spread.”