Burnley footballer in disabled parking bay row

[Hucknall Ram]

BURNLEY footballer Martin Paterson has been slammed for parking in a disabled bay at a McDonald’s restaurant.

Diane Heys, whose husband Nicholas suffers from muscular dystrophy, an incurable muscle-wasting disease, said she confronted the Clarets striker, 24, after he parked his black Volkswagen Touareg V6 in one of the disabled bays at the Trafalgar Street fast food restaurant.

She claims the Tunstall-born Northern Ireland international, who was dressed in a Burnley FC training kit, refused to move.

Mrs Heys said she took a photograph of the car in the disabled bay and verified Mr Paterson’s identity by looking at squad members’ profiles on the club’s website when she got home.

She later contacted Darren Bentley, the club’s media manager.

By email he then apologised, describing the player’s conduct as ‘unacceptable’.

Mrs Heys also claims that Paterson swore at her during the exchange – a claim which both the club and Paterson strongly deny.

But further emails, revealed to the Lancashire Telegraph, in which Mr Bentley explained Paterson had a thigh injury and was ‘unable to walk any great distance’, have angered her.

In Mr Bentley’s initial response to her description of the incident last Wednesday, he vowed to contact her once he had spoken to the player.

He wrote: “Obviously Martin’s conduct was unacceptable.

"I will speak to him as soon as possible about this matter and remind him of his responsibilities.”

Yesterday Mr Bentley followed up his first response with another email in which he said: “Your letter has been forwarded to the club secretary.

“Obviously Martin’s conduct was out of order and he has been advised of his future conduct.

“The only thing I would add is that at present Martin is out injured with a long-term thigh injury and unable to walk any great distance himself.”

Forty-seven-year-old Mr Heys is unable to walk more than a few yards as a result of his condition, which affects one in 3,500 males in the UK.

Mrs Heys, who is her husband’s full-time carer at the home they share in Whitewell Bottom, Rossendale, said she was ‘furious’ at Mr Bentley’s response.

In reply, she wrote: “To use this as his defence for parking in a disabled bay is a disgrace and belittles the daily struggle that many disabled people experience.

“My husband can only walk a few steps, which cause him agony. I am far angrier now than I was last Wednesday.”

Mrs Heys said she and her husband had driven to the McDonald’s restaurant just before 10.30am on the day in question.

As she was about to get out of her car, she said a black Volkswagen Touareg V6 parked in a separate disabled bay alongside them.

She said: “He promptly got out of his car, which he had parked in a disabled bay, and briskly made his way into the restaurant.

“I went in behind him and asked him politely if he was aware he had parked in a disabled bay. He answered 'Yes'.

“Then I said: 'But you're not disabled, are you?'

"'No I'm not,’ he answered."

Work is taking place at the restaurant, meaning the drive-thru is closed.

Mr Paterson recently underwent revolutionary treatment, which involved an injection of blood, to cure a recurring thigh problem, which has left him sidelined for months.

Mrs Heys said she thought the player should have either waited or parked elsewhere and walked to the store.

She said: “Living with someone who has limited mobility is difficult, to say the least.

“When I see a perfectly-healthy person stealing a disabled bay through sheer laziness and disregard for the people who need them, it makes me really quite angry.”

“I came back out to the car, only to find the man still sitting in his car, obviously in no hurry to make a move.

“I tapped on his window and pointed out to him that it was unfair of him and wrong to use that space.

“He said there were no other parking spaces and asked me what did I expect him to do - park on the road and walk? I told him: 'Yes.'

Mr Bentley declined to comment, saying he and the player would be dealing with Mrs Heys directly.

Mr Paterson also declined to comment.

http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/news/9265732.Burnley_footballer_in_disabled_parking_bay_row/

[mcsilks]

Really?! Who gives a flying f@@@ about this story. So what if he tried to park there. They make too many disabled spaces anyway.

I say shoot the busybody who complained thus ridding the world of one do-gooder.

[Hucknall Ram]

Does it make it right? In this case there wasn't enough disabled spaces

[EastKentRam]

How have they produced such a long article for something so pointless?

[mcsilks]

Does it make it right? In this case there wasn't enough disabled spaces

So park elsewhere. OMG. They might be forced to what....actually have to push their wheelchair.

What has the world come to.

[GboroRam]

Disgraceful behaviour from a professional footballer. I'd fine his ass and warn him about his future conduct.

Eating at McDonalds?

[ShaunTheRam]

Bit insensitive today, are'nt we all?

[ladyram]

I tell you what, I'm not disabled but it hacks me off too when I see folk rock up and park in a disabled spot, when there's clearly nowt wrong with em, except sheer bone idleness.

Another thing which hacks me off is when the same folk rock up and nick parent and child parking spaces because they can't be arsed to feckin walk another 50 yards.

It's inconsiderate and bad mannered.

Now folk can say what they like back at me if they wish but the simple fact is you're all BONE IDLE. You have no excuse.

Rant over.

[Hucknall Ram]

So park elsewhere. OMG. They might be forced to what....actually have to push their wheelchair.

What has the world come to.

The guy is seriously disabled, the bays are also bigger the help them get in and out the car

[Hucknall Ram]

I tell you what, I'm not disabled but it hacks me off too when I see folk rock up and park in a disabled spot, when there's clearly nowt wrong with em, except sheer bone idleness.

Another thing which hacks me off is when the same folk rock up and nick parent and child parking spaces because they can't be arsed to feckin walk another 50 yards.

It's inconsiderate and bad mannered.

Now folk can say what they like back at me if they wish but the simple fact is you're all BONE IDLE. You have no excuse.

Rant over.

Am with you as well with the parent bays, my friend once went to someone who parked in one of the parent bays without a kid, screamed at her saying "quick get back into the shop, you forgot your child", so funny.

[Leeds Ram]

seriously, it is a minor offense and he shouldn't do it, but to kick off like that is over the top.

[Asanovic]

Stick this in the 'Tony Pulis' hat' thread - Bloody pointless news articles.

[Fowkesy]

Really?! Who gives a flying f@@@ about this story. So what if he tried to park there. They make too many disabled spaces anyway.

I say shoot the busybody who complained thus ridding the world of one do-gooder.

D'you know I give a flying f***.Disabled spaces are there so really disabled people can get out of their cars without having some prat park close to them. I'd have let his tyres down [and have done]. I'll say the obvious...just hope you don't need one of those spaces one day.

[Asanovic]

D'you know I give a flying f***.Disabled spaces are there so really disabled people can get out of their cars without having some prat park close to them. I'd have let his tyres down [and have done]. I'll say the obvious...just hope you don't need one of those spaces one day.

Just out of interest (and my interest in this story is at its absolute end) - what happens if you forget your badge, or have a disability that isn't visible (there's a few of those, isn't there?) - would that make you a bit of a tw*t for letting someones tyres down?

[Shake n Bake]

Just reading this as some jackass decides to drive down the bus lane past the huge cue of traffic in his Audi A4. Certain people just think that because they drive better cars and are wearing a suit, or in this case a tracksuit indicating he's probably a footballer, they have the right to break the rules and do things honest people wouldn't do.

[Shake n Bake]

seriously, it is a minor offense and he shouldn't do it, but to kick off like that is over the top.

I think what make her kick off is that the club tried to make an excuse for him. If his thigh injury was that bad he couldn't walk far, he probably wouldn't be driving either.

[deserter85]

So park elsewhere. OMG. They might be forced to what....actually have to push their wheelchair.

What has the world come to.

In this case it shows that Paterson feels that his thigh injury makes his thigh injury makes him feel that he is as entitled to a disabled lot. This makes him a @sshole.

[ladyram]

In this case it shows that Paterson feels that his thigh injury makes his thigh injury makes him feel that he is as entitled to a disabled lot. This makes him a @sshole.

Nah, it means he's an arrogant idle git who can't be arsed walking.

[Shake n Bake]

I suppose it's like a perfectly able person not giving up their seat on the bus for someone elderly or who struggles to walk. Its frowned upon most of the time but some people are so ignorant and arrogant they do it anyway. Guess that's life.

[Phoenix]

Apparently...

In the UK there is a legally government laid down ratio of normal car parking spaces to the minimum required number of disabled spaces provided.

The minimum number is 2 marked disabled parking bays or 6% of the total number of bay must be reserved for marked out for disabled parking.

Up to 34 bay the requirement is 2 disabled, above 34 bays 6% of the total number of bays must be marked disabled.

This presumes that 6% of British drivers are disabled. ******. What you usually find is that the main car park is full to overflowing, and the disabled bays are largely empty.

What I've noticed in Leicester is that some of the disbled bays are in such remote places, you wonder how the drivers will get to their ultimate destination.