A DISABLED pensioner has persuaded Government officials to investigate the design of the disability badge after she complained to Tony Blair about a parking ticket she received.

Mary Lewis, of Marwood, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, wrote to the Prime Minister in November after she received the ticket for parking in a disabled bay in Penrith, Cumbria - despite displaying a disability badge.

A traffic warden said that he issued the ticket because the disability badge was displayed upside-down. Although the ticket has since been rescinded, Mrs Lewis was furious as there is nothing to differentiate the front and back of the badge.

"When I get mad I write letters," said Mrs Lewis. "I sent letters to all sorts of people including the Prime Minster.

"Last week I got a letter from the Ministry of Transport, saying he had referred my letter to them. It went on to say they had looked at the details in the letter and are now considering putting words on the disability badge to say which is the right way up.

"This is what I wanted them to do, although they should have done it in the first place. Older people like myself shouldn't be had up on stupid things like this."

The Teesdale Disability Access Forum has welcomed the news that the instructions may be changed so they can be interpreted more easily.

Secretary, Brenda Singleton, said: "Although it does say the front of the badge must be displayed, there's nothing to say which is the front and which is the back. Some people might find that's a little bit ambiguous. If it was to say 'front' and 'back' that would be great. We welcome anything which makes life easier for the disabled community."