A former motorcycle racer whose career was cut short by a terrible accident says she is tired of being mistaken for a drunk by people who don't understand her disabilities.

Alma Flower, 51, of Martock, also says she has problems with parking in the village because inconsiderate non-blue badge holders take all the disabled spaces.

Mrs Flower has difficulty walking and speaking because of injuries she sustained in a motorcycle accident 29 years ago.

After surviving the accident and undergoing a medical procedure to fix her spine Mrs Flower said she is often ridiculed by people who don't take the time to understand her disability.

Although her spine was rebuilt the accident left her with weak legs and a muffled voice, which Mrs Flower said makes people take her for a drunk.

She said: "I am registered disabled but people don't seem to realise and they class me as a drunk.

"I had my spine rebuilt and I had to relearn how to speak. I am really fortunate that I can only just walk but people treat me as if I am drunk all the time.

"I'm trying to live as normally as possible but when I have a bad day I sometimes fall over and no one offers to help me up or to pick up my stuff. Instead they make comments like, 'Are you drunk again?'"

Mrs Flower said she also faces difficulties when she tries to park in the shopping precinct because there are often vehicles without blue badges in the disabled spaces.

She said: "I've got my disabled badge but I can't even get in. They are the closest spaces to the shops but that's why they are the disabled spaces."

Mrs Flower was a motorbike racer who was heading towards being professional when a crash at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent on August 23, 1983, changed her life forever.

She said: "I was doing 80mph heading into the bend and I was easing up to go round it but another rider didn't make the bend and went straight into me.

"My motorbike went up into the air and landed on top of me."

Mrs Flower was paralysed for three months during which she had to be hand fed.

She said: "My legs only just about work. I'm just trying hard to live normally but I've had enough.

"I'm fed up of people treating me like a drunk when they don't know me. I feel lucky to be walking at all and I just want people to show more respect."

Mrs Flower moved to the village from Yeovil a couple of years ago because she thought it would be easier but instead she says she faces daily problems.

She said: "Martock is particularly bad for parking in the disabled spaces. People just do what they want. What can you do except get angry?"

Roger Powell, chairman of Martock Parish Council, said he would monitor the parking issue and alert the local police.

He said: "People shouldn't be parking in the disabled spaces if they don't have a blue badge because they are depriving disabled people who need them."