A DISABLED driver was given two parking tickets while he waited more than nine weeks for his renewed parking permit to arrive.

And he says over-zealous parking wardens gave him the tickets despite the fact that he displayed a receipt for the permit in his car window and a letter from the council saying the matter was in hand.

George Keech, a 72-year-old great grandfather, from Hall' ith' Wood, needs two walking sticks to get around while he waits for hip-replacement surgery.

His disabled parking permit, or blue badge, was due to expire on April 22, so, on April 20, he went to Bolton Council adult services with new passport photographs and completed a renewal form for the badge.

He did not receive the new badge until Tuesday, June 26 - nine weeks later - and only then after the The Bolton News made inquiries on his behalf.

During the intervening weeks he was fined twice by wardens.

Mr Keech said: "It just seems ridiculous. I had put the receipt and everything in the window, along with my expired badge. I had done everything I should have. What was the problem?"

Mr Keech received his first parking ticket on May 31 when he parked in a disabled bay in Soho Street, Bolton. The reason for the ticket was that his permit had expired.

He went to parking bosses and produced all the evidence to support his claim to a blue badge and completed an appeal form.

Last week, Mr Keech, who has three grandchildren and one great-grandchild, received a letter that said that after "careful consideration" the charge could not be waived because the permit displayed was out of date and the onus was on the badgeholder to renew before the expiry date, something that Mr Keech had done.

The pensioner was then fined again the following week while parking outside Bolton Octagon - and again the receipt and letter were displayed on the dashboard.

He said: "It is plain to see that my vehicle is specially adapted for the handicapped and my mobility scooter inside was clearly on view. Should I be penalised for the tardiness of social services?"

A spokesman for Bolton Council said that Mr Keech's new blue badge was sent out to him on Friday, June 22.

"As soon as we became aware of this matter, we took swift action. We regret that there has been a delay with processing Mr Keech's request. We are reviewing his parking ticket. However, we would like to remind customers that they have a responsibility to display a valid badge."

He said new procedures would mean that, from July 17, anyone applying for a blue badge would have to call into Bolton Town Hall. Providing they have the correct documentation, the badge could be issued within a few hours.

The spokesman said: "We appreciate that under the current system applicants can be waiting several weeks for their form to be processed."