Traffic wardens in Hampton have been issuing tickets while illegally parking their own vehicles in disabled bays.

Parking enforcers were seen scooting around Milton Road and Ashley Road in Hampton, dumping their L-plated mopeds on yellow lines and in disabled bays and issuing tickets, much to the frustration of genuine blue badge holders.

One disabled resident said: “I find this behaviour extremely offensive and, as someone with a disability myself, I was appalled to be laughed at by one warden when I asked him what a disabled person should do if they could not park due to his moped being in the bay.”

It is not illegal for traffic wardens to park their vehicles within resident bays or on yellow lines to carry out enforcement, but they are barred from stopping in spaces allocated for disabled people.

Following complaints from residents, Richmond Council urged its contractor Vinci Park, who employs the traffic wardens, to carry out an investigation into their behaviour.

This latest sting comes weeks after an ex-parking warden employed by Vinci Park revealed officers would use underhand tactics to issue people tickets.

He said wardens would log roads before they had entered them so they could issue more penalty fares than time limits on their ticket machines would allow.

A council spokesman said: “Over the past few months the council has received a number of enforcement requests from local businesses for the limited waiting bays in Milton and Ashley Road, as vehicles were parking for longer than the allotted time.

“This resulted in other drivers not being able to park and use the local shops.

“The council therefore asked its contractor – Vinci Park – to increase the enforcement in the area.

“The enforcement contractor is carrying out a full investigation into the complaint and will take appropriate action in line with their company’s procedures.”

Alex Brining, operations manager at Richmond Advice and Information on Disability (Aid), said: “For disabled people the issue of parking is especially important – so hearing about traffic wardens parking in disabled bays shows flagrant disregard for disabled people.

“We would urge any local residents affected by this to notify Richmond council immediately and, of course, contact Richmond Aid so we can support people with any issues around this.

“We would also wish to remind local residents with a disability that providing they meet the council criteria, they are entitled to apply for a disabled bay outside their home.”