DISABLED pensioner John Hazel is furious at Kennet District Council's treatment of disabled drivers.

Mr Hazel, a 65-year-old former prison officer, is still fuming at his treatment at the hands of a traffic warden when he parked his camper van, displaying his orange disabled badge, in the yard beside the Shambles market hall.

Mr Hazel, who lives in Mayenne Place, said: "I can't walk further than about 20 metres and I always do my shopping in the Shambles on Thursday.

"The disabled bays in the Shambles car park were full so I took my van round the corner and parked it beside the traders' vehicles.

"I came back ten minutes later and found the traffic warden giving me a ticket. I pointed to my orange badge and he said: 'That won't do you any good here, you should learn to read.'"

A sign on the opposite wall says parking is not allowed in the area at the risk of a £50 fine.

Mr Hazel does not think it is clear that it refers to the whole area. He refused to pay the fixed penalty ticket and decided to take his case to court.

On Thursday Mr Hazel appeared before Kennet Magistrates' Court and admitted the parking offence. He was given a six-month conditional discharge.

But the experience has left Mr Hazel very bitter.

He claims the lack of disabled parking spaces is driving disabled people to do their shopping at supermarkets, where parking is free, or in towns like Chippenham, where the first hour's parking is free. There is something awfully wrong with Devizes as far as traffic flow and parking are concerned."

He has written to Devizes MP Michael Ancram asking for his support for more disabled parking in the town.

Coun Jenny Combe, who is vice-chairman of Kennet Access Group, has added her concerns.

She said: "If Mr Hazel had parked on double yellow lines displaying his orange badge, he would have been all right. But Kennet does not operate like the police and it is far less flexible.

"With the town regeneration going through we have been promised more disabled bays, though whether they will be enough remains to be seen."

David Shearer, Kennet's technical services manager, said: "It should have been quite clear to Mr Hazel that he was not allowed to park in that yard. He drove past 'no entry' signs and over double yellow lines. We have a legal duty to maintain access to shops so we make it available to market traders only. The orange badge doesn't entitle him to park on double yellow lines in a car park.

"Although the town is at the recommended level for disabled parking bays, we are increasing them by five.

"We have no plans to increase disabled spaces in car parks because disabled drivers can park in ordinary spaces free of charge."

The new disabled street spaces will be outside Budgens, Tesco, the White Bear and in the High Street opposite Curry's.