TIMES are tough, but surely plans to charge disabled drivers to park in council-owned car parks in the New Forest is a step too far.

For many disabled people their car is a lifeline, enabling them to get to places they usually wouldn’t be able to visit.

If they are Blue Badge holders and are resident in the area, they may have little choice but to pay.

By asking disabled people to fork out for parking, it may well reduce the number of trips they make or, if they are visitors, they may avoid the area altogether.

Many disabled people could be on fixed incomes and additional costs will adversely affect their budget.

The cost of parking would be anything from 80p to £4 and the council, which needs to raise revenue, hopes to net about £75,000 a year from this measure.

But this bold, controversial proposal may well backfire, especially when you consider the rising cost of fuel.