THE father of a disabled man has hit out at Bury Council after receiving a parking fine during a visit to the town.

Bryn Travers had travelled to Bury to see the Flying Scotsman at the East Lancashire Railway on May 12 with his son Jean-Llewellyn, who suffers from spina bifida and is paralysed from the waist down.

The pair, who were visiting the UK from their home in Germany, had attempted to park in one of the four disabled parking bays at the station, in Bolton Street, but as all the spaces were full, they were forced to use a regular bay instead.

Mr Travers then displayed his 'blue badge' in the car's windscreen, something he says he has done many times down the years.

When the pair returned to the car later that day, they were faced with a penalty charge notice.

But despite attempting to explain the situation to the council, Mr Travers was told the notice was being upheld.

"I have driven around Europe and the UK with my son for 30 years now. I have even had my car clamped, but never had to pay," he said.

"I usually send a photocopy of the blue card and explain that all the disabled parking spaces were full, and it never goes any further than that.

"When they came back and said that I do have to pay, I was very surprised."

After the council sent a letter to Mr Travers's home address demanding payment, he eventually paid the fine, albeit reluctantly.

He said: "I refused to pay it at first, but they kept chasing me. I have got more important things to do - my son is bedbound because of an operation he has had since.

"I sent in an appeal by email and got a response two days later. I got the feeling I was just being fobbed off and no one had taken the time to look at what I had said in my appeal.

"They just had the attitude of 'we have fined you, so you are paying the fine'.

"I do not understand how they can have a regulation saying there is room for disabled parking but only a certain number of disabled people can park there and the rest have to pay. Where is the fairness in that?"

The 'blue badge' scheme provides parking concessions for people with severe mobility problems, who have difficulty using public transport. The scheme operates throughout the UK and is recognised throughout the European Union.

Bury Council's website states that in addition to being able to park for up to three hours on single or double yellow lines, drivers possessing a Blue Badge who park in a regular parking space must buy a pay and display ticket.

However, the rules differ in other areas - for instance, in Manchester, blue badge holders can park without time limit at a pay and display parking bay for free.

A council spokesman said: “Blue badges are not issued so that drivers can park for free; a person’s income is irrelevant. Blue badges, and disabled parking bays, exist to enable people with disabilities to park as close as possible to their destination.

“Blue badge holders in Bury have three parking options which are all free of charge: on double yellow lines, for up to 3 hours; on the street in a ‘pay and display’ bay; and in disabled parking bays in ‘pay and display’ car parks.

“All our car parks are clearly signed to say that parking in a non-disabled bay must be paid for, during the times that parking charges operate."