PARK regulars claim they have been branded troublemakers for making valid complaints and gagged from raising future gripes.

Billy Charlton and Michael Dunn walk their dogs every day in Middlesbrough’s Albert Park and have raised concerns over the years about how it is run.

But now the men say they are being punished for raising fresh grievances after being locked out of the disabled parking bays when the weekly Parkrun is held.

They maintain this breaches the Disability Discrimination Act and are taking their case to the Local Government Ombudsman.

But the council has rejected the gagging allegations and said repeatedly addressing the same matters was not a good use of stretched council resources.

A letter received recently by the two men from Chris Davies, Middlesbrough Council’s Corporate Complaints Manager, said: “The council has spent a significant amount of time dealing with your complaints and queries, and in responding to your many letters on the matter of the management of Albert Park and the facilities that it offers to the public.

It has now been decided that the council is no longer prepared to enter into any further communication with you in respect to any matter relating to the general day to day management of Albert Park.”

It added: “Your name has been entered onto the council’s database of Vexatious and Unreasonably Persistent Complainants.”

Mr Charlton said: “We are passionate about the park but we think it is getting run down. The council is trying to gag us for bringing things out into the open.

“Why does the council say it wants people to get involved with their local communities when it treats people like this?”

Mr Dunn said both men had written to the council independently and, as taxpayers had a right to say where they thought their money should be spent.

“We think it is disgraceful the council is behaving in this manner. They are making us out to be troublemakers but are not, we just care about the park.”

Ian Parker, the council’s chief executive, said: This is not an attempt to gag anyone - rather it is recognition of the fact that repeatedly addressing the same matters is not a reasonable use of council resources which are already under unprecedented pressure.”