Thoughtless parents are stopping disabled people from parking in Otley, it has been claimed.

Pat Smith, who is partially disabled, said that parents waiting to collect their children from All Saints' Junior School are parking in the five disabled bays in the car park opposite when school finishes.

Mrs Smith, who travels with husband Jim into Otley every Thursday and Friday afternoon from her home in Apperley Bridge, said she was finding it increasingly difficult to park. "Some people are so inconsiderate. Parents pull into the car park and go straight to the disabled parking bays because they are the ones right next to the school.

"While my husband is struggling to park, you see them sitting in their cars reading books and magazines, or talking on their mobile phones."

Mrs Smith claims that the anti-social behaviour of some parents is even harder to stomach.

"My husband has mentioned to some of them that they shouldn't park there. He's polite, but on one occasion he got a mouthful of abuse. I know that they're there for probably 15 minutes a day, but it is the principle of the matter that annoys me more than anything. And if we can't park, we shan't shop here any more."

A spokeswoman for Leeds City Council promised extra vigilance to clamp down on offenders.

She said: "Parents driving to collect their children from school do create localised traffic jams and congestion in many parts of the city. We strongly advise parents, whenever possible, to leave the car at home when dropping off and collecting children."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.