SELFISH car drivers who park in disabled-only spaces are set to be "named and shamed" in a new campaign.

The York-based Disabled Persons Advisory Group (DPAG) is considering adopting the radical strategy because of continued problems in Acomb.

The group has identified disabled spaces in Safeway car park and in front of Lloyds Bank in Front Street as ones being regularly "stolen" by able-bodied drivers.

Members look set to launch a campaign at their next meeting, in which they will take photos of offenders' vehicles and jot down registration numbers to hand in to City of York Council.

But Bill Bird, the council's parking services manager, said officers would have to see a parking infringement in person for action to be taken.

"We couldn't act by someone handing in a registration number," he said.

Coun Liz Edge, a member of DPAG, says she recently witnessed a Safeway staff member being given a "torrent of abuse" from a driver after asking him to move out of a disabled bay.

"Most of these disabled parking bays are being used by people whose only claim to fame is an idle bone in their backs," she said.

"I've got two elderly disabled neighbours who can't go shopping until after 4.30pm in Acomb because the spaces are taken up by drivers who shouldn't be there."

Coun Ken King, chairman of DPAG, says disabled people can often suffer verbal or even physical abuse if they remonstrate with drivers.

"The day has come when we must start taking action," he said.

"But it must be handled properly. I would hate anyone to try and police it themselves. This has got to be done by the authorities.

"But we may decide to start taking registration numbers down ourselves without the need for confrontation."

A spokesman for Safeway, in Acomb, said: "We don't have the power to clamp people or issue tickets in the car park.

"We do advise customers that they shouldn't park in disabled bays, but often we just mouthfuls of abuse back."

Mr Bird said it was the council's responsibility to enforce restrictions at Safeway car park overnight.

"In the past when we've offered to enforce there during the day, but the supermarket has declined because they felt it would present a bad image."

The matter will be raised at the next DPAG meeting on March 26.

Updated: 16:02 Tuesday, March 11, 2003