ON Thursday, May 5, I witnessed first hand how a traffic warden works around the Blackburn Royal Infirmary.

At approximately 3.30pm a traffic warden walked down Longshaw Lane and placed fixed penalty notices to all the cars that had parked showing disabled badges but had mounted the pavement -- none of which had exceeded nine inches.

I feel sure they had only done this to allow the road traffic to flow more easily. I felt sorry for the lady who had an elderly gentleman in a wheelchair and then had to place the wheelchair in the car boot then collect her ticket. Incidentally the car had only one wheel on the pavement.

I can only surmise that the traffic warden was inconsiderate but lacked training or he had a fixation about people who had badges on display and he had noticed people with badges who outwardly appeared as healthy as himself and this was his way of coming to terms with his grudge.

On May 6 at approximately the same time I counted 17 cars around the Infirmary area all having two wheels on the pavement and in adjacent streets cars were entirely on the pavement -- yet none had been given penalty notices.

Perhaps it was his day off or another more reasonable, considerate warden was on duty.

When the lady was helping the invalid gentleman out of the wheelchair a young woman with a buggy passed comfortably by on the pavement. There are no notices to inform motorists of this warden's inconsistency.

I hope this letter will be a reminder to those who park on a small width of pavement in order to allow extra width on the road for passing traffic that this act of generosity can cost £30 - at least in the area around the Infirmary.

Let's face it, many bus routes would come to a standstill if motorists didn't risk their tyres and track rod ends to ease the flow in this day and age.

F ELAND, Accrington (address supplied).

Footnote: Insp Mick Laraway said: "It is difficult to comment on this individual example as I am unaware of exactly what offences were being committed .

"However, residents in the Infirmary area have made it quite clear to the police, through public meetings and community surgeries, that they want to see enforcement regarding people parking on pavements, in residents' bays and on double yellow lines.

"We are responding to these concerns by using traffic wardens. However, parking enforcement will be handed over to the local authority towards the end of this year."