York Lord Mayor's limo spotted parked on street where council banned parking just weeks ago

Ben Phillips spotted the vehicle parked on double yellow lines in Goodramgate at 6.30pm on Sunday.

He said: “I just thought it really summed up York Council and their general behaviour in all ways – and the arrogance and disdain they have shown to those with accessibility issues.”

Blue badge holders were until recently exempt from the ban on vehicles being inside the city’s footstreets.

But the council’s executive last month voted to remove the exemption, which caused uproar in the disabled community and beyond.

The council said the move was necessary to bring in new counter-terrorism measures.

York Disability Rights Forum said of the photo: “Further confirmation that disabled people and blue badge holders are seen as second class citizens by City of York Council.”

York Accessibility Action tweeted: “Absolutely disgraceful that City of York Council think it’s one rule for disabled people and another one for them.”

The vehicle was not in use by the civic party on Sunday evening and engagements inside the footstreets zone were always made on foot, the Lord Mayor Reverend Councillor Chris Cullwick told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A charity Christmas dinner with the Lord Mayor was being held at Mansion House at 7pm that evening.

Janie Berry, director of governance at City of York Council, said: “We are sorry the civic car entered footstreets at Goodramgate on Sunday evening, December 5.

“It should not have done so, as it did not have permission. We are investigating to understand exactly how this happened and to make sure it doesn’t happen again”.