A COUNCIL is to refund disabled motorists who received penalty tickets after admitting signs used to advertise the suspension of a parking bay were not good enough.

Darlington Borough Council said the signs displayed on the bay in Crown Street, ordinarily used by blue badge holders, were “not great” and “did not catch the eye”.

It said they should have been bigger and higher up, so to be more visible to motorists, but denied claims they were in fact illegal.

A total of 32 Parking Charge Notices were issued to motorists using the bay opposite the town’s library and adjacent to The Northern Echo.

Thirteen who subsequently paid have been notified in writing they will get their money back. Fifteen who have not yet paid will not be pursued for the payment. Four other motorists, who paid, but who the council has not been able to trace, have also had their tickets cancelled and have been asked to get in touch with the authority for a refund.

The cost of the tickets is £70, but that figure is usually halved if paid within a set number of days.

The about-turn by the authority - which has recently faced a barrage of criticism over its parking policies - brought scorn from some of those motorists caught out.

Harry Gilbert, of Kielder Drive, Darlington, said his wife Judi, a blue badge holder, had received a ticket after parking in the bay.

He said he appealed the ticket on the grounds the signage was not legal. Nine days later he received a letter saying the Parking Charge Notice had been cancelled.

Mr Gilbert said: “I checked the signs and researched the internet regarding the Road Traffic Act.

“No doubt the traffic wardens thought this was an ‘easy cop’. It is right that the council should rectify this injustice.”

One woman who received a ticket – and subsequently had it overturned after she wrote to the council – said: “I just parked there as normal and when I came back I’d got a ticket. It was only then that I saw the signs and the tiny lettering. It is ridiculous.”

The pensioner, who does not want to be named, said she pointed out to the authority much larger hoarding-type signs which were being used in Durham to advertise the suspension of a parking bay.

She said: “If they had done the job properly in the first place, none of this would have happened. It is absolutely right people get their money back.”

The council suspended the disabled parking bay from September 3 after scaffolding was erected on the side of the Echo building.

It was later fenced off for health and safety reasons, meaning it was physically impossible to park in the bay.

A council spokeswoman explained that the contractor involved in the work was originally meant to cone the whole area off.

She added: “The suspension notices placed by the council were legally correct, however they did not draw the eye.

“Therefore the council has cancelled any Parking Charge Notices as a gesture of goodwill.”

Anyone affected wishing to request a refund will need to provide their vehicle registration number and call 01325-388740.