A GRANDMOTHER whose first trip out after cancer treatment was blighted with a parking fine wants to make others aware of blue badge restrictions.

Margot Box, 75, went out to go to the shops in Hereford for the first time for six months after undergoing treatment for bowel cancer.

Her husband, Bill, 72, parked in Blackfriars Street, along with their daughter, Caroline Howell, and they displayed their blue badge, which in council car parks entitles them to free car parking.

Little did they realise that the car park was owned by Corporate Parking and Facilities Management who do not offer any concessions and they returned to find a parking charge notice with a fine of £60.

Mrs Howell said: "I am not at all impressed by the way Corporate Services have handled it. It was the first time my mum had been out since June. We wanted to take her out and show her the Christmas lights."

They received the fine on December 7 during a late night shopping evening at 7.20pm and did not hear anything again until February when they received a debt collection notice for £160.

Mr Box, from Paterson Close in Madley, said: "They said they sent a letter before that but we hadn't received it."

When the Hereford Times got in touch with Corporate Parking, they arranged with Mrs Howell to reduce the fine to £30 due to the special circumstances.

But Mrs Box, who has had a blue badge for nine years after she was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis, wants people to be aware that not all car parks accept a blue badge and to check the restrictions.

They also thought that the car park was free parking, as the council offer late night parking on Wednesday nights in the run up to Christmas, but this does only apply to council car parks.

A spokesman for for the parking company said: "Corporate Parking and Facilities Management provide parking solutions throughout the UK for both local authorities and private clients. The decision whether or not to allow concessions for disabled users lies solely with the landowners. We always recommend that car park users read the parking conditions which are set out clearly and unambiguously within individual car parks.

"We are a Member of the British Parking Association Approved Operator Scheme (BPA AOS). All our parking policies are in-line with the current BPA Code of Practice and their industry regulations, which are available at www.britishparking.co.uk."

  • See some advice about blue badges here.