DRIVERS who are caught parking in parent and children bays may face a £95 fine as council traffic wardens are given the option to add another £25 to the current £70 penalty.

In a move soon to be introduced by the Department for Transport, anyone caught parking wrongly in spaces allocated for those with children or a disability could now face an extra on-the-spot fine.

Supermarkets are notoriously bad for illegal parking, although some will accept parent and child parking for anyone with youngsters up to the age of 12. There are now national calls to lower that upper age limit to five, with no exceptions.

Robyn Cresdee, mum of a four-month-old daughter, said: “Since becoming a parent I have realised the importance of parent parking. Trying to get a baby, car seat and push chair in and out of the car is hard work and you really do need that extra space.

“Unfortunately, I can rarely find such a space as they are usually all full, forcing me to park at the back of the car park to find a big enough space, which is fine as proximity to the venue does not bother me, but it doesn’t guarantee that no one will park next to me.

Robyn said she has also noticed a growing trend for parents to park in these spaces but only one of them going into the shop, leaving the other partner in the car with the child.

She added: “I feel this is a isuse and very inconsiderate.

“I am hoping that by bringing in an extra fine for their incorrect use, it will force people to think twice before using up these parking spots.

Sophie Gilder, who takes her niece and nephew on days out, said: “I find it appalling how people have no consideration for people who need those spots. I take my niece and nephew out for some bonding time but when it comes to parking it makes the journey less relaxed and you will always see someone who shouldn’t be parked there.”

Harrison Woods, the director of Your Parking Space, an organisation designed to allow people to book their space in a car park, said: “Parent-and-child parking at supermarkets is a hot topic and often creates strong opinion, as demonstrated by a recent survey which showed most people want some sort of punishment for motorists who use supermarket parent-and-child parking spaces when they shouldn’t be.”