A disabled woman was shocked to receive demands for nearly £400 from bailiffs last week, having appealed a parking ticket more than a year ago.

Gweneth Little from Modbury visited the town’s health centre in February last year. As a disabled blue badge holder who is eligible for free vehicle tax, she qualifies for three hours free parking in disabled spaces at Poundwell Car park.

Mrs Little, a wheelchair user parked, went into the surgery, and came out twenty minutes later to find a ticket on her car.

She said: "My blue badge is always on display and I always change the clock. There are no tax discs anymore, but they can check easily on their computers.

"I appealed, naturally, but they obviously refused but didn’t tell me. So I forgot all about it until civil enforcement men from Ross and Roberts came with a notice one evening.

"I rang South Hams District Council first thing in the morning, but I couldn’t talk to anyone. So I rang Ross and Roberts, but they said if I can’t pay, they’ll have to come and take some things from my bungalow.

"Well, I need all the stuff I’ve got. OK there are two computers but one’s my son’s, he’s at university."

Mrs Little said the total demanded, £392 is a lot for her as a disabled pensioner. She added as a result of changes to her Personal Independence Payment she may soon lose her car, severely restricting her mobility.

The Champernowne resident insists she delivered her appeal letter to SHDC at Follaton House in Totnes by hand. She is also mystified as to why it has taken more than a year for the council to deal with the case.

But SHDC say they never received Mrs Little’s appeal of the ticket.

A spokesman for the council said: “Unfortunately, we did not receive a parking appeal. Had we received correspondence in the allocated time, this penalty charge notice would have been reviewed.

“With no correspondence or payment received, we took steps to make contact, sending several letters, before the case was sent to enforcement agents.

“The case has been put on hold while we seek to investigate the situation.”