PENSIONERS in Bewdley are missing out on potentially life-saving flu jabs because they think they will not be able to park in the town centre, it is feared.

Bewdley Medical Centre expects to inoculate 3,000 of its patients over 65, or with chronic chest or heart conditions, this autumn for free as part of a national campaign.

At the start of the week only 1,200 of what in other years would be about 2,000 people had visited the Dog Lane centre for the jabs, and take-up was still sluggish yesterday.

This means hundreds are going without - and nurses manager Susan Fairlie thinks the closure of the Load Street car park directly outside the centre is putting them off coming.

"It's really important people get their flu vaccinations," she said.

Bewdley has suffered with a host of parking problems related to flood defence work but nearly all spaces are now available again on Dog Lane following the end of work on Severnside North.

Sessions will be held on the remaining two Saturdays in October from 9am until 11.30pm while a drop-in day will be held at the centre when jabs will be available from 9am until 6pm on Tuesday.