A LARGS councillor has vowed to look into disabled parking in the town after an elderly couple were hit with a £60 parking fine - despite having a blue badge.

Margorie Boyle, 90, was parked in the M&Co car park late last year, and despite telling the owners UKPA about her disability, has now had her appeal rejected .

The pensioner insists she has parked for free in the facility for years and said she did not see any signs that the new owners had changed policy and now charged for the use of disabled bays.

Margorie explained: “I’ve used the M&Co car park for years because my husband and I have a blue badge and can hardly walk.

“We have never had to pay because we have the badge, which is quite common across Scotland.

“However this time we did our Christmas shopping and drove home and were shocked to find a fine for non-payment a few days later.

“I didn’t realise it had changed hands and didn’t see any signs that said you had to pay for disabled spaces.

“I appealed the fine but have now had a letter back saying it was rejected as the car park no longer operates the free system for blue badge holders.”

Margorie believes that the new policy raises bigger questions about the availability of disabled parking in the town centre.

She said: “Obviously we have broken the rules and I have paid the £60 fine, but it really upset me and raises bigger questions about disability parking in Largs.

“I have written to the council because to me there are hardly any spaces for blue badge holders centrally.

“Although there is the big car park at the front, we can’t walk that far so this needs to be looked at for us and other disabled drivers.

“Although we live in Ardrossan, we want to come to Largs to shop, but if something doesn’t change then we might not be back.”

Councillor Alan Hill, who sits on the ruling SNP cabinet, believes there are enough spaces for blue badge holders in the town - but has promised to keep availability under review.

He said: “In my opinion there are a reasonable number of disabled spaces in the town, but it is something that should be watched.

“When decriminalised parking enforcement comes in and it is one hour no return, it will give a huge opportunity for the elderly and blue badge holders to find more places to stop.

“I’ve never struggled to get a space in the town centre but I will look into this if more problems arise.”