A GP accused of repeatedly parking in a disabled space says she has no choice – and has been “victimised” because of her distinctive car.

Patients at Waters Meeting Health Centre in Astley Bridge claim Dr Nasima Sidda, GP at the Sidda Family Practice, has been parking in a disabled bay without a permit for years.

But Dr Sidda, who admits she has no disability permit, says she has no choice but to leave her white Audi A7 there because there are no designated GP bays at the surgery.

She claims she has raised the issue of GP parking multiple times with Bolton commercial property agent Hurstwood Holdings, which manages the building, but so far nothing has been done. And she says other doctors are also forced to park in the disabled bays.

A patient at the surgery, aged 40, said: “I have seen this happen every time I have been to the practice and have mentioned it to security.

“She is very well known and so is her car because of the distinctive number plate – but I have never seen a disability badge displayed in her car.

“It would be understandable if there were no parking facilities, but in the morning when she arrives the car park would not be full at all.

“Several times I have seen people turn up and have to wait to get into a disabled bay. I cannot believe this is continuing.”

Dr Sidda said: “I have no choice but to park there because I have to be able to get into the surgery daily.

“We do not have designated parking spots for GPs – something all other health centres have.

“Other doctors park in the disabled spaces, including the out of hours doctors cars, and it is never raised as an issue. I think I have been victimised because of my car, which is very recognisable.”

Dr Sidda said she is being “picked on” – with the word ‘disabled’ etched into the dirt on her car on several occasions.

Dr Sidda said no disabled patient has ever come in and asked her to move her car, and said she happily would have done so if requested to.

She added: “We have to have designated car parking spots for GPs because we are here every single day. Until that gets resolved I don’t think it is an alternative. I have been raising the parking issue repeatedly since 2011 and I don’t feel like my requests have been taken heed of.”

Dr Sidda’s practice moved from Charlotte Street to the multi-million pound Waters Meeting Health Centre in 2007.

The Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group said it was not for them to comment on the issue.

Nobody from Hurstwood Holdings was available for comment.