MARK Newton, 43, fears Government cuts to disability benefits will leave him trapped in his home as he will struggle to afford an electric wheelchair.

The Gerrards Cross resident travelled to the Houses of Parliament with a group of campaigners recently to protest against the proposed cuts.

He put together a set of a living room behind bars in Parliament Square to try and show what the impact of the cuts will be.

Ministers want to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) with a new payment and remove the mobility component.

The changes are designed to streamline the system and reduce spending by 20 per cent.

Mr Newton, who lives in Chiltern House, a state-funded residential home on Packhorse Road, relies on the allowance to get out and about and retain some independence from his carers.

He said: “Why should I miss out on those things that others expect and take for granted just because I live in a residential service and am disabled? I want to keep living - my DLA mobility helps allow that.”

He has to use most of his income to pay for his own care, leaving him with a personal allowance of just £22 per week.

Once he has paid for essential items, such as clothing and toiletries, he says there is little left.

After a scuba diving accident in South Africa in 1990 Mr Newton went into a coma, from which he unexpectedly emerged eighteen months later. He was totally paralysed, blind and without speech and expected to stay that way.

But he says he has made remarkable progress since then and has a regained partial sight, perfect speech and enjoys going out with friends and family.

Guy Parckar, of Leonard Cheshire Disability, which runs Chiltern House, said: "This change will hit one of the most vulnerable groups in society and we urge the Government to reconsider.”

Jane Griffiths, a spokesperson for the Department of Work and Pensions, said: "The Government is committed to making sure that disabled people living in residential care get the help they should.

"We know that there can be varying levels of support in care homes and we are working with disability organisations including Leonard Cheshire to ensure that disabled people have their mobility needs met."