AN ELDERLY disabled couple were left traumatised after a ‘very rude and unpleasant’ traffic warden in Ashburton ordered the duo’s charity driver to get a move on after their visit to a town dentist.

The husband and wife – one with a walking stick and the other with a frame – were ‘struggling’ to get back to the waiting car parked on a double yellow line in West Street when the jobsworth warden struck.

Details of the ugly incident were revealed in a strongly-worded letter of complaint fired off by the group on the receiving end of the yellow peril’s outburst – District of Ashburton Surgery Helpline, DASH for short.

The team, which has a group of volunteers to drive patients to medical appointments across South Devon, has unloaded its vitriol on County Hall’s wardens’ department.

Its coordinator complained: ‘As the couple left the dentist to come to the car the traffic warden started being very rude and unpleasant to our driver, even though he could see the patients struggling out to the car – and she tried to explain what she was doing.’

Passers-by and a receptionist intervened, but the warden allegedly took no notice and continued to ‘berate’ the volunteer driver.

The coordinator continued: ‘Ashburton is a small county town, not a mega-metropolis. I am horrified to learn of behaviour such as this towards two elderly people from one of your wardens.’

Her stinging rebuke went on: ‘Abuse of wardens is not tolerated, but nor is abuse of elderly disabled residents by a traffic warden. It’s not acceptable under any circumstance.

‘We are all very aware of the tolerance that must be shown to all people suffering from disabilities. I and the elderly couple have been left extremely upset by this incident. I have spent some time reassuring the elderly couple who have been left feeling quite traumatised by the behaviour of this warden.’

She revealed that the episode, on March 21, was not the first time their volunteer had experienced a problem with the warden concerned.

‘I am afraid he has a very bad reputation for rudeness in the town,’ claimed the co-ordinator who questioned whether the person sparking her fury was in the right job.

Similar sentiments were expressed at this week’s meeting of Ashburton Town Council with chairman and mayor Cllr Sarah Parker-Khan confirming: ‘I believe this traffic warden has previous form. It’s not the first time we’ve heard this.’

She told councillors that the official in question had already been the subject of ‘re-training.’

‘Evidently it has not had much effect,’ she reflected at Tuesday night’s meeting.

Cllr Charlie Dennis said: ‘Generally, traffic wardens locally are very understanding. This one appears to be the exception.’

Devon county councillor Stuart Barker, who attended the meeting, said he would ‘make sure the matter gets the proper attention.’

He reassured councillors the letter would be treated as an official complaint and would be investigated over a set period of 28 days before any formal response was made.

Former mayor Cllr John Nutley described the whole incident as ‘rather appalling.’

The council agreed to send its own letter outlining members’ revulsion at what had happened.

A spokesman for Devon County Council confirmed on Wednesday: ‘We will be investigating this matter.’