A DISTRAUGHT pensioner has told how a taxi journey home after visiting her dying husband in hospital was aborted due to a road being blocked and queuing traffic.

The disabled woman, aged 86, was returning from seeing her husband who had been receiving palliative care in Bridport Community Hospital, when she and her daughter were left stranded in the town.

The taxi firm has defended its actions - saying it had no choice but to abandon the journey.

The woman, who doesn't wish to be named, said her husband has since sadly passed away.

She had been taking a taxi from Bridport firm Pats Cabs home to Chideock with her daughter, who was on crutches, and had been staying with her for support.

But the taxi's driver turned around mid-way through the journey westwards on the A35 on the evening of Friday, May 17 - due to a broken down lorry blocking the road causing a very long tailback. It is believed the road may have closed.

The pensioner said the driver had been confronted with queuing traffic at Miles Cross heading west, then radioed the controller and was told to 'take them back to town, they can catch a bus'.

The woman said: "I could not believe what I was hearing and felt distraught. I could literally have burst into tears.

"I explained that neither of us was able to get on a bus but he insisted that was what he must do. He was kind enough to not charge us. I don't know the rules but surely there is a duty of care once a fare has been accepted."

The pair were dropped off outside the Ropemakers pub in Bridport town centre and they eventually managed to arrange a lift home from a family member later that evening.

The woman said: "He left us outside the Ropemakers where we sat, wondering what to do but it was getting cold so some very kind customers helped us inside where we were able to get a drink and coffee.

"It is awful that he did this and if he had stayed with it we would have got home without any more stress."

The taxi firm has defended its actions, saying that it was the best course of action when faced with a road that could have been blocked for hours.

Terry Houston, the owner of Pats Cabs, said he told the taxi driver to return to Bridport.

He said: "The traffic going west wasn't being allowed to move, we couldn't take them to Chideock so we had to go back. All the traffic going west was turning around.

"We had to abandon the plan because we couldn't complete it. We couldn't have a driver sitting around for I don't know how long with two women stuck in the car. There was nothing we could do.

"I told the driver to take them back to Bridport where maybe they could take a bus if they didn't want us to take them, or they could get refreshments.

"We have been trading for 50 years and have been taken a bit aback by this. We did everything we could be expected to do."

Mr Houston said that a lift back to the hospital or the taxi rank outside the pub was offered, and that no charge was made.

He added that once the blockage had cleared he would have happily arranged another taxi to take her.