A SHORTAGE of disabled parking in St Neots is being challenged by the people who need it most. The group includes a disabled mum-of-three, the husband of a disabled grandmother and the mayor, Councillor Bob Eaton. Anita Rendell-Read, 40, from Eaton Ford,

A SHORTAGE of disabled parking in St Neots is being challenged by the people who need it most.

The group includes a disabled mum-of-three, the husband of a disabled grandmother and the mayor, Councillor Bob Eaton.

Anita Rendell-Read, 40, from Eaton Ford, who walks on crutches, says she received a penalty notice after parking her Nissan Micra on market day at the back of St Neots Market Square - even though she had been parking in the same place for 18 months.

Ms Rendell-Read said: "I think the ticket must have been issued by mistake. I always park in that spot when I go to the market. I hadn't seen the person who issued it before and there were five other cars parked there and none of them got a ticket.

"I parked at 9.50am and I was back by 10.10am - people with disabled badges are allowed to park there so long as they are not causing an obstruction. There were no double yellow lines there and certainly no notice saying 'No Parking'.

"I was really cross and quite tearful at the time but now I think this has opened up the whole issue of access for disabled people in St Neots. I have a wheelchair but I can't use it in town - it's not safe, so I use crutches."

The mother-of-three sons, aged 21, 18 and nine, added: "I want to campaign for this facility to stay. There is plenty of room for emergency vehicles to get past."

Another driver with a disabled badge for his wife who is able to walk only a few yards, grandfather Keith Taylor from Eaton Socon said: "Ms Rendell-Read's car was not on the pavement, I was parked there as well. We park there to take my granddaughter to Peppercorns Performing Arts and I have never had a ticket.

"There is a rumour that we will no longer be allowed to park there and we will have to park at Waitrose but my wife, Frances is disabled and she could not walk 50 yards. We need places for disabled parking."

The Mayor of St Neots, Councillor Bob Eaton, who uses crutches to walk, has told The Hunts Post that he has found difficulty in parking in the town. However, he says that able-bodied drivers often use the spaces marked for disabled drivers.

Cllr Eaton said: "There are never enough spaces but I don't see where else they could put them."

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire County Council said nothing had changed about parking in St Neots Market Square.

He said: "The road on the south side of Market Square, from its junction with Riverside Terrace in an easterly direction for 67 metres is no waiting at any time. However, disabled badge holders are permitted to park for up to three hours.