A DISABLED man’s tank-style wheelchair that lets him go on off-road adventures has been sidelined by officials because it is too big to use in public.

Jim Starr, 36, from Crossways, was hoping to use the hulking chair, which has caterpillar treads, to enjoy days out at the beach and the countryside with his children.

The Tank Chair is designed to move easily across multi-terrain and Jim has already driven it through snow and across sand.

But now he has been blocked by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) which says the Tank Chair cannot be categorised as an invalid buggy as it is 22cm (8.6in) too wide and more than 100kg(15.7st) too heavy for use on public land.

They have told Jim that he must apply for a category H driving licence which allows people to drive track-laying vehicles such as tanks, on public roads.

Jim, a former landscape gardener, has used a wheelchair since 1999 due to chronic back and joint conditions, neurological problems and arthritis.

He was given the £15,000 chair for Christmas by a friend after finding himself limited by his basic wheelchair.

The Tank Chair, controlled by a joystick, allows the user to travel across uneven ground and can even go up hills and over dips in the road without being jolted.

It has a top speed of 8mph and runs on a battery-powered 24-volt motor.

Jim hoped the chair would allow him more freedom to go outdoors with his wife Emma, son Leo, eight, and daughter Skye, four.

But although initial checks with the DVLA and police suggested he would be able to use the machine legally, it has emerged it is only permitted on private land.

Jim said: “The whole idea of the chair was that I could go down to the beach with the kids.

“It is a fantastic machine and can take me anywhere I want to go. It has no limits.

“It is ridiculous that I should have found a chair that could help me do all that, then told I could use it, only for the authorities to turn around and say that if I used it on the roads I would be doing something illegal.”

He added: “I used to be someone who was into outdoor pursuits before I had to use a wheelchair and I had hoped the tracks would mean I could get back out and do the kinds of think I used to love doing.”

Jim said he didn’t want to use the vehicle on roads or pavements, but said he would have to cross them to get to the areas where he can use the Tank Chair.

He added: “In the meantime it would be nice to have an area on private land where I can go and use the chair.”