Elderly driver abandoned his broken down car in search of a computer after RAC tells drivers to report breakdowns online

An elderly driver says he was forced to abandon his car after being told by the RAC to report his breakdown online.

Duncan Rayner has slammed the motor insurer after he was told he would receive faster service if he told them his cars wheel had fallen off through its website instead of over the phone.

The 85-year-old, who does not own a smartphone, claims he was left waiting on the line for an operator so long that he had to walk home and log onto his computer to report the incident.

In doing so he left his car at the side of a busy road in Berkshire for around two hours, before he called a friend with a tow truck to remove the vehicle himself.

The RAC has since apologised to Mr Rayner, while campaign groups have raised concerns about the forcing people who dont have smartphones or struggle with the internet to use services online in the first instance.

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Duncan Rayner, pictured, says he was forced to abandon his car in a bid to find a computer when he was told to log his breakdown online

He says the he was told he would receive a quicker response if he logged his breakdown through its website (file image)

Mr Rayner had been left stranded on a B road 15 minutes from his home in Sunningdale, Berkshire, after one of his cars wheels fell off.

The pensioner told The Telegraph that despite calling the RACs breakdown number, he received little in the way of help as he was stuck listening to automated messages.

If they dont answer their phone and Im stuck on a motorway, how on earth do I get in touch with them?

And I think that is the big problem facing not only me, but a hell of a lot of other drivers. You know, we dont all have smartphones.

He added: I tried to ring them, and I think I was on the phone for 15 or 20 minutes [with] no response, and then the phone line kept coming back to say the easiest way to get in touch with us is online.

Mr Rayner said he became so frustrated that he abandoned his car and walked home, where he logged the incident online.

However, he claims that after receiving no response for another 15 minutes, he gave up entirely and rang a friend who had a tow truck to come and bail him out.

This private rescue cost him £100 and he says RAC then refused to reimburse him for the expense. The company now says it is going to offer him a gesture of goodwill, according to The Telegraph.

Age UK, the leading charity for elderly people, has raised concerns about forcing people who do not have access to smartphones or tablets, or who struggle with the internet, to do things online rather than over the phone or face to face.

The motor insurer has apologised to Mr Rayner for his experience and insists that people can still report their breakdowns over the phone

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, told MailOnline: Almost half of over-65s are either not online at all or lack the skills and confidence to be able to use digital technology safely and successfully.

It follows that its crucial that non-digital alternatives are always available in terms of accessing services, and thats as true of vehicle breakdown support as anything else.

We understand that companies are keen to control costs and that putting services online is one way of achieving this, but its a total false economy if it disenfranchises literally millions of older people.

A spokesperson for the RAC told The Telegraph: Were sorry Mr Rayner thought the only way to log his breakdown was online.

This isnt the case – we offer members the choice to call or go online. In fact, over half of all breakdowns are reported to us by phone.

While many of our members prefer to go online – as it allows us to locate them more easily and keep them regularly updated on when we will arrive – we appreciate this isnt the case for everyone.

This is why we have fully staffed call centres in three UK locations that take tens of thousands of member phone calls every week.

MailOnline has contacted the RAC for comment separately.