A visually impaired Aberaeron pensioner caused £5,000 damage to a van blocking his way on the pavement by hitting it with his white stick.

David Lloyd Edwards, 68, had taken out his frustration on the van after experiencing repeated problems with vehicles parking on pavements in the town, his solicitor Alan Lewis said.

The court heard Edwards lashed out after he hit his head on the van’s mirror as he walked past on the pavement.

Edwards admitted causing criminal damage to the van on 10 May and was given a conditional discharge, and must pay £500 compensation.

Ceri Ellis-Jones, prosecuting, that the van was parked on the pavement outside Box of Delights when the driver heard banging. When he went outside, he saw Edwards hitting the van with his white stick. He apologised for his parking, and asked Edwards to stop hitting the van.

The court heard Edwards told the driver he shouldn’t have parked there, before lashing out at the van several more times.

Edwards accepted he had caused the damage and apologised, but said he had become increasingly annoyed by vehicles parking on the pavement causing difficulties for visually impaired people and people with other disabilities.

The court heard that Edwards had contacted the police regarding vehicles blocking pavements, but they had said there was nothing they could do, and Edwards was told he would have to contact the council.

Defending Edwards, Mr Lewis said: “He acknowledges he went about things in the wrong way.”

District Judge Gwyn Jones said while he understood Edwards’s frustration, damaging the van was not the way to address the problem.

He said: “On the day in question you may have been frustrated as the van was parked on the pavement where it should not have been, but putting it bluntly, you lost it and caused damage to the van with your cane. Two wrongs do not make a right.”

The damage to the van came to just over £4,800, but Ms Ellis-Jones said a compensation claim had been made to cover the £500 excess the van owner had to pay.

Edwards was made subject to a conditional discharge for a year, will pay the compensation of £500 and costs of £106.