TORY JUDGE FLOUTS LAW BY PARKING IN DISABLED AREA.A TORY MP and judge has been caught parking in a disabled drivers' bay to save himself a short walk. Humfrey Malins's refusal to put his Renault in the main car park just 150 yards from court brought angry protests yesterday. One disabled driver, 50-year-old Peter Whelan Peter Whelan is a British playwright. Whelan was born and raised in Stoke-on-Trent, England. His works includes seven plays for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the first of which was Captain Swing, in 1979. , said: "Many of my friends have had problems parking there because of Mr Malins's selfishness self·ish adj. 1. Concerned chiefly or only with oneself: "Selfish men were . . . trying to make capital for themselves out of the sacred cause of human rights" Maria Weston Chapman. . "He'll put people away for flouting rules but he thinks he is above those same rules." Oxford graduate Mr Malins, 53, is MP for Woking, Surrey Surrey, county (1991 pop. 997,000), 653 sq mi (1,691 sq km), SE England. The county seat is Guildford. The North Downs cross the county from east to west. To the north the land slopes gently downward to the Thames, into which flow the Wey and the Mole, Surrey's , and sits as a recorder at Isleworth Crown Court in west London West London is the area of Greater London to the west of Central London. Although it is only ambiguously defined, it is one of the most economically active areas of London outside of the centre, containing significant amounts of office space along with Heathrow Airport and many of . The Mirror challenged him after he left his car a few feet from a sign near the court reading: "Parking - Disabled drivers only." He admitted, "I do tend to park it here." Groups representing the disabled condemned con·demn tr.v. con·demned, con·demn·ing, con·demns 1. To express strong disapproval of: condemned the needless waste of food. 2. the MP. Lorna Reith, director of Disability Alliance, said: "It is completely unacceptable that someone should be taking someone's place when they are not disabled." The National League of the Blind and Disabled called it a "huge lack of consideration." Angela Drane, trustee director of Scope, added: "On average there are 10,000 disabled people in each constituency. I wonder if they knew about Mr Malins's attitude whether he would retain his seat." John Rossi, 61, wrote to the MP to complain, but received no reply. He said: "I often visit the court to watch cases with friends who are disabled." Isleworth court manager Joy Coles said the judge had now promised not to park in the disabled bay. "He certainly would not have been parking there on a regular basis because he is not a regular judge here," she said. "He normally parks in the judges' car park or on the road." Mr Malins, a former ministerial Done under the direction of a supervisor; not involving discretion or policymaking. Ministerial describes an act or a function that conforms to an instruction or a prescribed procedure. It connotes obedience. aide, was at his pounds 350,000 detached de·tached adj. 1. Separated; disconnected. 2. Standing apart from others; separate. home at Westcott, Surrey, yesterday. He told The Mirror: "I probably parked there three times in a year with no objections. It's a matter for the court who parks there. No one has ever been inconvenienced. I'm having my lunch, please leave me alone." Voice of The Mirror: Page 6 |
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