Anne Buckley

A DISABLED woman who has been enjoying Hampstead Heath for almost 50 years says she felt “criminalised on the spot” after getting unfairly fined in a car park.

Anne Buckley – a 68-year-old former hairdresser who lives in Dartmouth Park – cannot walk long distances but regularly visits Kenwood to exercise her dog and take in the scenic views.

She was hit with a £60 fine last month after parking in a standard bay in Kenwood car park when the disabled spots were full – despite displaying her blue badge.

Car park contractors had refused to cancel the ticket but after the New Journal got involved, English Heritage – which runs Kenwood annexe of the Heath – issued an apology and scrapped the fine.

Ms Buckley said: “I’ve been going to the Heath since I was 18 years old and took my children there when they were small. “I love nature, and could spend ours up there. It’s my salvation. But I was utterly disgusted to receive this fine. I love the Heath because it holds so many memories for me, but I had been dreading going back and getting another fine.“

She added: “It’s nice they have finally cancelled the ticket and apologised, but they can’t take away the stress I’ve been going through these last few weeks.”

Ms Buckley has Cushing’s syndrome, a condition caused by too much cortisol in the body. It can lead to high blood pressure, difficulty walking and can be dangerous if not treated.

An artist, she has many paintings of nature on the walls of her home where she has lived for decades.

She used to run a popular hair salon called Lunatic Fringe hair salon in Camden Town.

An English Heritage spokeswoman said the ticket was “issued in error” as blue badge holders could park in any space in the car park, adding that they “could only apologise for the upset this error has undoubtedly caused” and cancel the ticket immediately.

An official statement read: “At Kenwood, Blue Badge holders are welcome to park in any available space free of charge and some of our accessible facilities whilst visiting the site include accessible toilets, lift access, wheelchair loans and level pathways around the house.”