A DISABLED woman from Poole and her partner were left stranded on the motorway for six hours after the RAC failed to locate their classic car.

Kim Griffin, 54, who suffers from fibromyalgia and lives in constant pain, was left waiting at the side of the M42 for a recovery vehicle after her partner’s classic BMW M3 broke down.

The former journalist and her partner James Burns requested a low-loader recovery vehicle as they knew an RAC mechanic would not be able to replace the rare fan belt. They gave their exact co-ordinates, but the first recovery van did not reach them for three hours because they could not find the car, according to Kim.

Kim said: “The whole process was a shambles and I was in real pain throughout.”

After breaking down at 1.30pm the low-loader eventually arrived at 7.30pm and was arranged through a different company. The couple were travelling from Poole to Sheffield to purchase a Mercedes 4x4 NL 55 and the car dealer managed to bring the car to them in the time it took to RAC vehicle to arrive.

The former journalist who worked for Dive Magazine was diagnosed with the disorder in 2011 after a car accident.

Kim said: “My disability means I am in constant pain, there is absolutely no relief and I can feel it throughout my whole body, including my face.”

An RAC spokesman said: “We have apologised to Miss Griffin for the unacceptable and unnecessary delay she suffered and the frustration and distress that it caused.

“We are normally very proud of the way we help our members, but on this occasion we let Miss Griffin down badly for which we are sorry. While we can’t give the time back, we have sent Miss Griffin £50 which we hope she can put towards something she enjoys.”