Eric Harvey was slapped with a £30 fine on 11th August when he parked in a disabled bay outside Kirkby's Festival Hall.

Eric, of Cavendish Crescent, Annesley Woodhouse, had been bowling at the hall and has parked in the same spot for 50 years, had the correct disabled badge, but had mistakenly displayed it upside down.

This week Eric's wife Fay told Chad: "We cannot believe he has been fined like this and we are very unhappy. It just seems ridiculous that they would do this and it is bureaucracy gone mad.

"He is entitled to park there and it just does not seem acceptable that they have taken this action instead of using some common sense."

A spokesperson for Ashfield District Council told Chad they had been right to fine Mr Harvey for his mistake and said: "Blue badges must be clearly displayed so that the full face of the front of the badge can be clearly read through the front windscreen.

"This is to enable the enforcement officer to verify the information on the badge and ensure that it is valid.

"Misuse of blue badges is an identified national problem and it is to the benefit of disabled people that these checks are carried out.

"The gentleman has the option of appealing accor-ding to the instructions on the parking ticket."

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