Parking bay loss left Watford couple feeling trapped

Maria and Brian Bishop relied on their son for shopping when the disabled bay disappeared

An elderly couple felt trapped in their home for four months after their disabled bay was removed during road resurfacing works.

John Di Blasio said without a parking space, in Watford, Hertfordshire, his mother and step-father were "petrified" to leave their home.

However, a day after contacting the JVS consumer show on BBC Three Counties Radio it was repainted.

Hertfordshire County Council said the delay was due to recent bad weather.

The couple's street in Watford before the disabled bay was repainted

Mr Di Blasio, said his mother, Maria Bishop, 86, who has back problems, and his step-father, Brian Bishop, 82, who has heart issues, had a disabled bay painted outside their home 10 years ago.

But in June the road was resurfaced and the markings were no longer visible.

Speaking before the lines were repainted, he said: "I've tried everything possible to try and get this disabled bay reinstated for them.

"Unfortunately it's now affecting their mental wellbeing. It's got to the stage, they will not leave the house because they're petrified once they'll leave the car they will not be able to park outside the house.

"If they go shopping, and if they come back with loads of shopping bags, they can't carry them to the house."

He said he had to regularly drive from his Northampton home to take them shopping because they were too worried to move their car.

Due to his frustration he went on the BBC consumer show on 25 October.

The council was contacted and work was carried out the next day.

'We had to prioritise'

A spokesman for Hertfordshire County Council said: "Unfortunately, because of recent bad weather, our line painting programme has been delayed.

"We've had to prioritise locations where a lack of lines on the road would have an immediate safety implication."

It confirmed contractors had "reinstated the disabled parking bay".

Mr Di Blasio said now the issue had been sorted, the couple's stress levels had gone "from 100% down to zero".

• Listen: Couple frightened to move cars

"They've regained their freedom, they can actually go out with peace of mind knowing they can come back and park outside their house without having to struggle to walk up the road with shopping bags," he said.

"You've achieved what I've been trying to do in four months, in one day," he added.