'I was fined even though I have a blue badge'

Stephen Harrison said the situation had been upsetting

A blue badge holder said he was fined £60 for parking at a hospital despite registering for free parking at the site.

Stephen Harrison, from Highley in Shropshire, received the letter after parking at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

"It's quite shocking for me to get a parking fine when as far as I understand, I have abided by the rules, parked where I should, and registered the car," he said.

Paula Gardner, interim chief nursing officer, said there was no known fault with the parking system at the hospital.

Blue badges allow motorists to park on the street for free. Off-street car parks, such as hospitals, usually have different rules.

The trust said blue badge holders receive free parking at the hospital if they register for free parking and display a valid badge in the vehicle.

Mr Harrison said he followed all the rules on the day and when he spoke to someone about the fine, they said the system could not tell between a disabled-registered car or someone trying to dodge a fine.

'Really upsetting'

"I'm not guilty because I registered my car and I have a blue badge, so they shouldn't have sent me the fine under any circumstances," he told the BBC.

"The letter doesn't make it easy to appeal - you need to have a computer or a laptop, you need a smart phone at least to send a picture, send an email or go online to appeal.

"It was really upsetting, actually, because of the finances, most people on disability payments… are financially stretched."

Ms Gardner said the formal appeals process allowed for proper investigations to take place and each case was assessed and reviewed accordingly.

"We understand that individual circumstances can vary and we would encourage anyone who believes they have received a parking charge notice in error to follow the formal appeals process," she said.

She added that the trust was committed to ensuring parking arrangements were fair and accessible and was working with its partner, Group Nexus, on the management of the car parks.