DRIVERS from the volunteer Link service are refusing to go to Great Western Hospital in Swindon after they were issued with parking fines, despite displaying their volunteer parking permits.

One branch of the Link service, an organisation which helps elderly or vulnerable people get to hospital and out-patient clinics, say drivers will not go to Swindon again until the parking problems are sorted out.

Devizes branch chairman Pete Cousins said: "Our volunteers are mostly retired people who ferry patients to the hospital out of the goodness of their hearts.

"They are not paid and to fine them for parking there is an insult. The two people who were fined were extremely upset and I don't see why my volunteers should be subjected to that."

Volunteer Sandra Mitchell was given a £50 fine while taking an elderly woman to the hospital for an appointment at the eye clinic.

Mrs Mitchell said: "I have been driving patients for years and never had any problems until the Great Western opened.

"We all have parking permits saying that we are Link drivers, but for some reason Swindon Borough Council does not seem to recognise them."

Hospital spokesman Chris Birdsall said: "We have been looking into the problem and are already designing a new parking permit, which will be issued to all Link volunteers.

"This will enable them to park in visitor spaces without paying, or use the 20 minute drop off point, but they cannot legally park in disabled spaces."