A BLUE badge holder has slammed West Somerset Council for time-limiting disabled bay users at one of its car parks.

Janet May, of Bishops Lydeard, says the district authority is “preying on the vulnerable” by banning people from using disabled bays in North Road, Minehead, past three hours.

A spokesman for West Somerset Council said the three-hour limit was to stop motorists taking up disabled bays all day and to ensure more people had access to them.

Janet, recently slapped with a fine for over-running the time limit, is now warning motorists to read the small print on car park signs when leaving their vehicles.

“On looking at the small print you will see that it is only for three hours, then you have to leave! There is nothing about being able to pay if you want to stay longer in that disabled bay.

“Remember, the disabled person needs the extra space so that a wheel or power chair can be taken from the boot and manoeuvred alongside the car door.

“I find this very misleading. Is this the way West Somerset Council raises money, praying on the vulnerable in our society?”

Stacey Beaumont, spokesman for West Somerset Council, said: “The Department of Transport, which governs blue badges, clearly states a three-hour parking time limit on the clocks it issues to disabled vehicle users, so the council did not introduce this rule.

“However, the council did consult with the West Somerset Disability Association (WSDA) over the time limit. WSDA backed the time limit because the district has a high proportion of blue badge users.

“It was agreed that the time limit ensures that bays are not taken up by one vehicle for a whole day and gives more disabled people access to the parking bays.

“The council’s car parks comply with Government guidelines for the provision of disabled parking bays.”