The son of a 92-year-old widow has protested about "insensitive" treatment when he tried to renew his mother's disabled parking badge.

Fanny Philip, who is disabled and is suffering from cancer, was asked to undergo a 30-minute walking test when she needed to replace the blue badge she has held for 25 years.

When she applied to Harrow Borough Council with the help of her son and carer Stephen, she was told she would have to take an assessment following changes in government legislation.

But after Mr Philip, 69, had to cancel his mother's appointment because she is too ill and cannot walk, he had to prove she had mobility problems.

He said: “This whole process has been very distressing and it has put a strain on me and my mother. There a just so many hoops to jump through and I'm upset at our treatment.

“We have been made to feel as though they do not care about my mother’s situation and have not listened to us. It has all been handled very insensitively."

As a result of not having the badge, Mr Philip was not able to take his mother out.

He added: “The last thing I want to see is other people having to go through this because it’s not fair.

“I understand why they are stricter giving out blue badges but people like mother, who are entitled to it, are made to suffer with the stress.”

Harrow Borough Council now uses external company Access Independent to assess people’s needs for blue badges.

Since raising the issue at the end of last year and after several letters Mr Philip has been told his mother will get a badge after he was able to prove the extent of her mobility problems.

A spokeswoman for the council said: “Harrow Council’s independent contractors Access Independent went to great lengths to issue Mrs Phillip with her disabled parking pass.

“She was excused a mobility assessment when her son offered to provide medical evidence of her condition to support her application.

“There was a delay because he did not submit enough information about her condition.

“We appreciate that this may have been a frustrating process for Mrs Phillip, however it is only fair that we and our contractors follow the same process for everyone.”