A disabled man from Newport was issued a £70 parking fine just minutes after the council finished painting a designated disabled bay outside his home. Graham Tufft, 66, who has a below-knee amputation, heart failure and diabetes, had waited over two years for the bay to be installed on East Usk Road.
On Monday afternoon, contractors from Newport City Council arrived and marked out the space around Mr Tufft's car. However, within moments of the job's completion, a parking warden placed a penalty charge notice on his vehicle for not displaying his blue badge.
Mr Tufft's wife, Janice, said she had just gone online to check whether the badge needed to be displayed and was heading out to place it on the dashboard when she spotted the fine. 'The paint on the floor was still wet,' she said.
Mr Tufft expressed disbelief at the timing, noting that traffic wardens are rarely seen on their quiet street. 'I feel like the warden was waiting for the contractors to leave,' he said. The couple have begun the appeal process and have contacted the council to raise their concerns.
