TORBAY'S tourism trade would be massively worse off without the thousands of people who visit the English Riviera courtesy of coaching holidays.

Like them or loathe them, they bring trade to the resort all year round, even in the depths of winter.

That's why we need to look after them... at least that's what coach driver Brian Kenyon thought.

Brian, who lives in Torquay and works for Shearings, received a parking ticket while he helped two elderly and disabled ladies to the Bygones museum, in St Marychurch.

He accepts he wrongly parked his coach across car bays in nearby Hampton Avenue, but says he was just trying to help the ladies, both in their 60s and on a week's break from London at the Esplanade Hotel in Paignton.

One had an electric buggy and the other a walking frame.

There are parking facilities for coaches in the nearby Model Village car park, but Brian says he opted for the Hampton Avenue car park because it was closer and more accessible to the Bygones museum.

He says: "I walked down to the museum with the people and when I came back I had this ticket.

"I parked across the parking bays but there were three or four bays empty.

"There is easier access from Hampton Avenue and it is more on the level."

His appeal against the £25 ticket has been thrown out by the council.

Brian says: "They are saying I should have just dropped the people off and moved to the coach bay, but these people had to get their walking aids out.

"I am incensed about it. There isn't a single disabled coach bay anywhere in Torbay."

He added: "There are coach bays in the Model Village car park but there are only three bays.

"What happens when there are four coaches? Last week we had four and one over-hung the space."

And he adds: "I pleaded guilty in the letter and said I know I have done wrong but there were circumstances. They were having none of it."

He has been in touch with Bay MP Adrian Sanders' office and hopes he will take up his case.

Brian says: "We bring coaches here 52 weeks of the year. We bring 15 to the Bay every week all year round. To be treated like this is ridiculous.

"Come on, a little bit of compassion wouldn't go amiss here."

A Torbay Council spokesman said: "The council is unaware of any disabled coach bays existing as they would prevent other coaches using those coach bays. We need to maximise coach parking, not limit it to one sort of coach.

"If the coach displayed a disabled badge then it would be treated like any other disabled vehicle, for example, being allowed three hours' parking on a double yellow line.

"The coach driver in Hampton Avenue made no attempt to use the marked coach bays in the car park and subsequently received a fine."

Fetch out your cheque book, Brian...