As a disability adviser and campaigner, I would like to inform blue badge holders of their requirements and rights.

If you are the named holder of a badge when you are in your car, or a car being driven by relative or a friend, you can use your badge to park in disabled bays.

But to do so, you must leave the car and place your blue badge so it is visible.

I have found so many people who hold badges parking and then staying sitting in the car.

You cannot allow any other person to use your badge, be it family or friends. If the badge is issued to you, then only you can use it.

Lastly, think of others who have a disability that requires them to get really close to shops.

I find plenty of badge holders who can walk without a struggle, who nonethe- less use disabled bays when they could just use a normal bay.

Keep your badge safe, as stolen badges cost around £700 to replace and you have to wait up to six weeks to get a new one.

That means no parking as you could do under the blue badges rules.

This month there will be a crackdown on anyone abusing disabled parking bays.

I simply ask any person who cannot respect a person’s disability by parking in a blue badge bay to try propelling a wheelchair from a area not suited to unload a wheelchair, just because somebody was too lazy to park in a normal bay.

Barry O'Connell
Saxstead Drive
Clacton