AN 82-YEAR-OLD has hit out at the “unfair treatment” of disabled drivers after he was fined for parking in a resident bay, despite being registered disabled.

Retired sports journalist Patrick Rowley was furious when he found he had been given a penalty notice for parking in a permit bay in High Elms, Woodford Green earlier this year.

Mr Rowley, of Oak Hill Crescent, Woodford Green, has had a disability badge for several years after a series of seven different medical conditions reduced his mobility.

The 82-year-old grandfather of 10 suffers from a form of arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis, severe back pain, recurrent leg ulcers and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Although he can move around quite easily at times, Mr Rowley says the reason he is registered disabled is because “an attack could hit him at any time."

He said: “The nature of my conditions is that it comes and it goes – you never know when an attack is going to hit.

“My DVT means I can’t feel the bottom of my left foot and the ankylosing spondylitis can take over my whole life at any given moment and make all my joints seize up.”

Mr Rowley claims he parked in the permit bay near Woodford Green Primary School because there were no disabled spaces available and there was a sign above it saying ‘do not park during school time’.

He said: “There’s nowhere to park in Woodford Green for anyone, let alone disabled drivers.

“I was going to the golf club in Sunset Avenue very, very briefly for no more than 15 minutes, and by the time I was back, they had fined me.

“I parked there because it was half term and all the sign said was ‘do not park during school time.”

After receiving his fine and investigating further, Mr Rowley found another sign 50 metres away from the other one, saying the bay was for residents’ use only.

He said: “Those signs are misleading at best and show a complete lack of sympathy for disabled drivers.

“First of all there are no spaces specially designated for us, and then they put the signs 50 metres away from the parking space, way too far for most disabled people to walk and see them.”

Despite appealing against the £55 fine, Mr Rowley was made to pay it and told that if he appealed a second time and lost, the fee could go up to £165.

He added: “I don’t just use the disabled badge for me.

“My wife is far less mobile than me, and despite two hip replacements, can’t get her own badge.

“When I was forced to pay the fine and they rejected my appeal I decided I needed to raise awareness of the terrible situation facing disabled drivers in our borough.

"I was only gone for 15 minutes, a few roads away in the next borough, whether you're disabled or not, you get free parking for 15 minutes.

"in Redbridge, even if you're a disabled octogenarian you get fined for doing the exact same thing."

Having fought for 15-minute free parking in Waltham Forest as part of the Highams Park Forum, Mr Rowley believes a similar scheme should be set up in Redbridge to improve disabled access for disabled and elderly people.

Redbridge Council has been contacted for comment.