A 76-year-old man recovering from spinal surgery was given a parking fine after putting his disabled badge the wrong way up in the windscreen of his car.

Ron Padwick, of Worcester Road, Burford, Tenbury, who is also recovering from cancer, had taken a drive into Leominster and parked in Corn Square with his disabled blue badge in the windscreen.

But when he returned, Mr Padwick found a fixed penalty ticket that will cost him £35, or £70 if it is not paid within two weeks.

According to the note left by ‘Civil Enforcement Officer number 15’, he was not displaying his badge in the prescribed manner.

Mr Padwick’s crime was to have displayed his badge upside down.

Mr Padwick said: “I could not believe it and am certainly planning to appeal.

“I admit that I made a mistake but, in the circumstances, it would have been appropriate to issue a warning, which is within the power of the warden, rather than the fixed penalty fine.

“It was absolutely clear that I had a legitimate disabled parking badge and the car was correctly parked.

“In the rush, I had put the badge the wrong way up inside the screen. It was not 100 per cent correct but to impose a fine in these circumstances does seem heavy handed.

“I shall appeal but it has to be in writing as you cannot call these people.”

Mr Padwick, who has trouble walking, was issued with a disabled badge nine months ago and had major spinal surgery at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham this year.

Alison Cook, of Herefordshire Council, said: “All blue badge holders are requested to display their badge the right way around so that the expiry date is visible.

“Instructions on how to display the badge are clearly laid out in the terms and conditions of use issued with the pass.

"If it is not displayed properly, this may result in a penalty notice being issued.

“Regarding the case under discussion, the badge was displayed the wrong way around, which is why a penalty notice was issued.”