‘Sympathy is no excuse’

12:16pm Thursday 19th January 2006

A terminally ill pensioner has hit out at clampers who clamped his car even though he showed them a valid disabled permit.

War veteran Ronnie Hollingsworth, 85, who has lung cancer and other disabilities, parked his Nissan Micra in a disabled bay at Lidl supermarket, Churchill Way, Leyland.

“I may not have long left, but I have enough fight to warn people about this. It is money for old rope.

Ronnie Hollingsworth

When he returned after doing his shopping he found an attendant from National Clamps Preston attaching a clamp to his front offside wheel.

He realised he had simply forgotten to display his disabled badge and attempted to show the officer the permit entitling him to park there.

But the attendant ignored his pleas and proceeded to issue him with an £80 penalty to release his car.

Ronnie, of Greenside, Euxton, said: "I was upset and humiliated by the whole experience. I have terminal lung cancer and other disabilities.

"I told the man this but he would not listen, even though I had simply been forgetful.

"I may not have long left, but I have enough fight to warn people about this.

"It is money for old rope. I felt like I was living in a police state."

Ronnie was then asked for £80 to release his car.

"I was distressed by this time because I didn't have the cash to pay. There was no way I could have walked to a cash point because I suffer from shortage of breath.

"In the end I handed my credit card to him and he phoned it through at a cost of another £3," he said.

On the ticket issued to Ronnie, the blunt message Sympathy is not a mitigating circumstance' is printed in bold letters.

Mancheter-born Ronnie is a widower with five children and has lived in Euxton for two years.

In March 2005 he was given four months to live by his doctors but has defied his illness and continues to value his independence.

A Second World War veteran, he has suffered from deafness and pain in his legs and back after being wounded during the ferocious battle of Monte Casino in Italy in 1944.

He now plans to appeal against the fine.

"I'm writing to National Clamps to try and overturn this," he said.

"I'm living on a small pension and I begrudge them taking this money from me. To me it's almost inhuman of a company to say that they will never show any sympathy."

National Clamps Preston were unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.