A SEVERELY disabled widow, who parked on double yellow lines for two minutes to post a birthday card in Sidmouth, was horrified to find a �70 ticket slapped on her windscreen.

Fuming Angela Alexander, 64, left in constant pain by debilitating rheumatoid arthritis, says she desperately hobbled back to her car to plead in vain with the enforcement officer.

The penalty notice stated her red MG ZR had been observed in High Street from 12.13pm to 12.15pm.

Blue badge holder Angela, who is reliant on a walking stick and finds moving agony, this week saw an appeal for East Devon District Council (EDDC) to overturn the fine rejected for a second time.

She branded the penalty, dished out on Saturday, July 21, as “unfair and very uncompassionate”, saying: “I’m unlikely to be coming back to Sidmouth.”

Mrs Alexander, of East Budleigh, missed the village post and rushed to Sidmouth to send a birthday card to a loved-one.

She had hoped to stop outside the post office, but said motorists had parked up to Fulfords estate agents.

Mother-of-one Mrs Alexander says she struggled to the shop and back without stopping in two minutes – but an enforcement officer was waiting for her on her return.

“He hadn’t even put the sticker on my window – and could see me hobbling back with my stick,” she said.

“I pleaded not to have it, but he stuffed it in the yellow packet, slapped it on my window, and said ‘too late’. The officer wouldn’t accept my explanation.

“Had I been able to park any closer to the post office for two minutes, I’d have done so.

“I couldn’t because other, able-bodied people were parked all along the pavement.”

EDDC told Mrs Alexander that, after “careful consideration”, there were “no grounds” for cancellation of the charge.

A parking services administrator said her car had been parked on double yellow lines that also had double kerb markings – indicating a blanket no loading ban that applied to blue badge holders.