Fury as attendant uses disabled space while he dishes out tickets

PARKING attendants in Edinburgh are famous for their strict enforcement as they ruthlessly adhere to the city's rules.

And knowing the rules inside out appears to have an added benefit, at least for one city enforcer.

While other motorists would be put off by a sign asking that a space be left clear for disabled drivers, he was happy to leave his motorbike there while he went on the prowl.

Parking bosses insist the sign has no legal authority and had been erected on Inverleith Place by the nearby Royal Botanic Garden. The attendant, they added, was therefore doing nothing wrong when he parked just outside the north entrance to the garden on Wednesday afternoon.

But while he may have been within the law, his choice of parking space only served to enrage onlookers.

Drew McAdam, an entertainer from West Calder, used his digital camera to capture the moment.

Mr McAdam, 53, said: "I was visiting the Botanics. It was a lovely day so I thought I would take a stroll.

"I saw the scooter parked and realised what it was. The warden was away at the end of the road. There were plenty of spaces he could have parked in."

He added: "He had wandered off down the street booking cars and came back to do his paperwork.

"It does really annoy people when they see that kind of thing."

Drivers who abuse disabled parking bays under local authority control can be fined £30 under a law passed by MSPs in February.

However, the sign identifying the space on Inverleith Place as a priority bay for disabled drivers was not put there by the city council but by the Botanics.

A spokesman for NCP Services said: "The bay in question is a dual bay for both permit and pay and display.

"Civil enforcement officers from NCP Services, working on behalf of Edinburgh City Council, are allowed as part of their role to park in these areas.

"The signage erected, however, may be misleading and we have asked the Royal Botanic Garden to remove this to ensure that it is clearer to motorists."

Campaigners have hit out, however, saying there is still a moral obligation to keep identified bays free for disabled drivers.

Bruce Young, Lothian and Borders co-ordinator of the Association of British Drivers, accused the parking attendant of "acting like a lout".

He said: "These commercial parking attendants seem to take the view that they can park wherever they like when they are ticketing people and that is just not true.

"There is no justification for it. Disabled bays are there for a purpose and should be respected."