A ROOKIE police officer has been taken to task by his bosses after parking a marked police car in a disabled bay in the centre of Andover – less than 200 yards from the police station car park.

The photo was taken by Andover resident Neil Blackmore, on Sunday afternoon, who originally thought the vehicle parked in the High Street was on an emergency call.

He said: “In my view, even if this is true, there is still no reason to occupy the disabled parking bay bearing in mind it is in a restricted access road and could easily have been parked kerbside.

“I wonder if I got a ticket for doing this in a hospital or doctor’s car park, I could use the same excuse and get away with it scot free? I think not.

“There is no excuse for this thoughtless parking unless, of course, the officer in the car is disabled.”

An Andover police spokesman said: “The officer is new in service and didn’t fully understand the implications.

“He has been given a warning. The officer is sorry for his actions, and this will not happen again.

“He was not dealing with an emergency.

However, he was completing police business but should have found a more appropriate place to park.”