Charity fear attacks over car park spaces
CCTV has been installed to monitor a charity’s disabled parking bays as staff fear being attacked when they reprimand drivers using them illegally.
Disability Stockport spends £3,500 a year to rent two nearby bays for visitors to its headquarters on High Street in the town centre.
But the spaces, which are clearly marked with paint and signs, are regularly used by people who are neither disabled nor visiting the charity.
And when staff gently point this out they say some people become aggressive and threaten- ing. Police have been informed and pledged their support.
The charity has also put up a CCTV system and an additional camera to film the bays to capture evidence should matters escalate to an assault.
Kieran McMahon, director at Disability Stockport, said: “We have now installed CCTV to protect staff and for evidence if an assault takes place – which is becoming increasingly likely.
“We have marked and signed the bays extensively so there is no doubt that they are private spaces and reserved for blue badge holders visiting our centre.
“But they are misused many times each day and we have to spend much of our time trying to persuade drivers to move on. Some go quietly, others feel affronted.”
The spaces have been rented from the nearby Calvert’s Court pub since 2009. A further £ 1,600 was spent painting the disability markings on the bays when they first began being abused.
But after initially acting as a deterrent the markings now seem to make no difference.
Last month an incident of threatening behaviour was reported to police when a female staff member reprimanded a man who had parked there overnight.
The charity can issue £60 fines to transgressors but rarely does through fear of repercussions.
Mr McMahon, 59, added: “This may seem trivial but it is not, it is an issue for disabled people and those trying to change attitudes towards disabled people.
“Many people think that this kind of behaviour is acceptable and others refuse to believe it happens in this day and age.
“Sadly, Stockport is no different other places where discriminatory attitudes lurk under the surface and the most vulnerable are often the victims.”