A DISABLED man has declared victory after successfully challenging a £30 parking fine.

Fred Welch, 79, of Hoole Lane, Chester, walked outof city magistrates on Friday after five minutes when no evidence was offered and the case was dismissed.

Mr Welch was annoyed after he rang police just after 9am on February 20 this year to deal with cars blocking in his Vauxhall Cavalier, only to receive a parking ticket as a result.

He had wanted to visit the post office to collect his pension.

Mr Welch says one of the drivers of the obstructing vehicles - who received a ticket because he was on double yellow lines - was so incensed he instructed the policeman to issue tickets to all illegally parked vehicles, including his own.

But Mr Welch, a former member of the Royal Pioneer Corps, claimed he was blocked in and in any event was allowed to park on the 30 minute space for up to three hours because he has a disabled badge.

The police officer said Mr Welch, who suffers from arthritis, could have driven his car out of the space and alleged the disabled sticker was not being displayed.

Mr Welch, a retired scrap metal dealer who was based at Mickle Trafford, said:'I have got approximately 60 years of driving licences and never had one revoked or refused. So please believe me that I should be the one, given I drive the car daily, to judge the distance as to whether I could get this big car out or not.'

Mr Welch insisted his disabled clock and accompanying badge were displayed and he would have had until 11am before a parking ticket could have been issued and yet the ticket was actually written at 10.35am.

Mr Welch, who was prepared to defend himselfina trial at court,told The Chronicle afterwards: 'I refused to pay it because I had not committed an offence.'

Court clerk David Hargreaves confirmed no evidence was offered by the Crown Prosecution Service and the case had been dismissed.