A row has erupted over an incident in last Sunday's episode of BBC's Top Gear during which cars were parked in disabled parking bays.
Presenters Jeremy Clarkson and James May were driving a Nissan Leaf and Peugeot Ion for an item on the pro's and cons of electric cars. To discuss the cars and show their boot space, they stopped in a car park in bays clearly marked as reserved for the disabled.
Of course, the BBC was immediately inundated with complaints.
Jim Rawlings, of Disabled Motoring UK, said: "I'm sure the last thing on Jeremy Clarkson's mind was that he was parked in a disabled bay.
"The abuse of non-disabled people parking in disabled bays is rife, and with people like Jeremy Clarkson and James May doing this other motorists will just think they can just park wherever they like."
Peter Lyne, of the Disabled Motorists Foundation, said: "It's an immense problem and is an extremely frustrating issue which is not helped by the likes of Jeremy Clarkson and James May."
Viewer Adam Sullivan, 32, added: "I was disgusted to see them parking up in a disabled bays. The pair of them were even standing about on the disability road markings and they didn't even notice it."
A spokesman for the BBC said: "Isn't this just typical? A couple of innocent, wouldn't-hurt-a-fly petrol heads try to make a helpful film and all they get is these bullies snarling at them.
"I bloody give up. I really do. Moan, moan, moan - that's all you bloody get for trying these days."
