"TOUGH tactics on disabled drivers" has prompted me to ask all disabled drivers and those who assist anyone who is a Blue Badge holder to write to their local councillor and MP regarding the unclear procedure for correct display of the badge, and to complain about the unsympathetic treatment of Bolton Council towards a vulnerable and important portion of our community.

A Armstrong's comments on the Letters Page were quite correct, as I, a helper to a disabled badge holder from Leigh, found out in Bolton town centre.

Yes, the accompanying user's handbook does explain how to display the badge, but, as a first time helper giving a disabled person transport in my car, I was not aware of the restriction on how to display the badge, as, at the time, I never had sight of anything other that the actual badge. This I am sure must have happened to other helpers in the same position.

My disabled passenger has had the badge for just over two years and is taken to Leigh shopping every week by various helpers where her disabled badge is displayed, photo up, and a ticket has never been issued.

Within 12 minutes of parking in a disabled bay in Bolton, we received a ticket. What a welcome to Bolton! I cannot begin to explain just how distraught and upset this lady was that she had somehow repaid my kindness by getting me a parking ticket.The explanation as to why it had been issued was that a badge had not been displayed.

The least that could have been done was to explain on the ticket that the badge was displayed the wrong way up. Then, if we were going to park anywhere else, we knew the requirement -- as it was, we were left wondering why the disabled badge was not recognised in Bolton. I appealed against the ticket and, although the fine was dropped, I was given a caution to the effect that Bolton only allow ONE mistaken badge display.

The important question raised is -- how many disabled badge owners pay the ticket fine without question, not knowing what they have done wrong and then are frightened to use the badge in future, therefore restricting their freedom to move?

The correct way to display the Blue Disabled Badge needs to be made absolutely clear on the badge and, until then, BMC should have the decency to suspend the action of their parking attendants. I am ashamed that I am associated by residence with such an unfeeling decision, particularly when they know the badge itself does not state how to display. I consider this to be, at best, sharp practice and, at worst, a blatant disregard to fulfil our responsibility to help and support our disabled population.

Yvonne Knight,

Cemetery Road, Bolton.