DRIVERS who mistakenly parked in faded disabled spaces in Clitheroe will not get their fines quashed.

Two shoppers were ticketed on the same day in York Street last month after unwittingly leaving their cars in parking spots reserved for disabled drivers.

Now town hall chiefs say there will be no refunds for either driver – despite both claiming the markings on the road were faded when they parked there last month.

Mervyn Porter parked his car after spotting a two-hour free parking sign near the Fancy Frocks shop.

The 76-year-old from Chipping said: “There was no road markings to tell you where the disabled bays started and finished.

“They could not be clearly seen on the road. I have appealed the decision saying that you could not see them but they have now said that my appeal was inadmissible.

“I went back to the site on Easter Sunday and the spaces had been re-painted with the bays clearly marked.

“I think it is a cover-up so they can say it is now noticeable. I would not have parked there if I had known it was a disabled bay."

Zivana Hodson also received a ticket after parking in front of Mr Porter on the same day.

The 75-year-old from Gisburn, who paid her fine, said: “There was a sign further up the road which gave two hours parking free and I did not see any different markings.

“There is not enough parking in Clitheroe anyway as I went looking for spaces and these were the only ones I could find.”

Rebecca Ford from Fancy Frocks said: “When I saw people parking there I was going out to them to ask if they had a blue badge as people had been fined but I cannot do it all the time as I am busy in the shop.

“I think that everyone who got a ticket before the road was re-painted should have them abolished as it was not clearly marked.”

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: “We endeavour to refresh road markings which are needed to enforce traffic regulations before they become so faded as to be unenforceable. There is a process which allows people to challenge a parking penalty, including taking an appeal to the independent parking adjudicator if they would like to challenge the council’s final decision."