I JUST felt a warning is in order.

As most will know the car parks are all now chargeable and this includes the one at the back of Pyart Court in Coleford.

However, it seems this is not council-owned and is a private car park for which the rules are different.

I use the disabled parking usually and did so today but parked at the rear car park rather than the front.

I parked in a marked disabled bay, left my badge clearly displayed and went off to deal with my business.

I was in one place the whole time and was gone about an hour.

I was shocked to return to my car to find a parking ticket displayed and assumed it had been done in error.

I rang the council as there is no charge for a car with a badge clearly displayed in the council car parks but was shocked to find that this car park is privately owned and that they charge for disabled therefore it seems I was wrong.

I don’t have an issue with paying when required but as this car park appears to be the same as the others in the area and there is nothing on the disabled bays to say differently, I genuinely had no idea I was supposed to pay and didn’t even think to check the board.

I do think it would be helpful if the owner was to have a small sign fitted to disabled bays so that we would know we had to pay and could then make a choice about parking there.

I am now left with a large fine to pay, which I cannot afford, and would hope to stop this happening to anyone else by making everyone aware.

– Shocked, Clearwell