A 71-year-old amputee said he was "relieved" to finally have his blue badge approved and has called for the permit's reapplication process to be reviewed.

Nigel Ward, from West Winch near King's Lynn, reapplied to Norfolk County Council for the parking permit but was rejected and told he needed to provide more evidence of his limited mobility.

He was later assessed by a physiotherapist and his application was approved by the authority, which said it had been following the process set out by the Department for Transport (DfT).

Norfolk County Council has backed Ward's call for the DfT to review its policies for permanently disabled people whose need for a permit would not change.

The DfT's blue badge scheme allows people who have severe mobility problems to park closer to their destination and in restricted areas.

Currently, eligible people have to reapply every three years and undergo an assessment to prove their mobility issues were enough to warrant the permit.

A spokesperson for the DfT said decisions on individual cases were a matter for local authorities and that it expected "councils to assess applications fairly".

When Ward reapplied for his permit earlier this year he provided photographic evidence of his amputation and a letter from his GP, but Norfolk County Council told him he needed to be further assessed as some amputees "can run marathons".

Pat Gould, a Reform UK councillor and cabinet member on Norfolk County Council, said: "Councils are expected to follow rigid national rules that prevent common-sense decisions being made locally."

Following Ward's story, the BBC has received messages from other disabled people in the region who had a similar experience, with some waiting nearly a year for their blue badge application to be approved.

Earlier this month Ward travelled nearly 50 miles (80km) to Norfolk County Hall in Norwich to meet with a physiotherapist for an assessment.

After a test to see if he could walk with his prophetic limb along a flat surface, Ward was told by the physiotherapist that she "did not need to see anymore, I can see the difficulties you have".

Ward said he was "happy and relieved" his application has been approved but he wanted the system to change for people in similar situations.

"I would like to see if we can push the Department for Transport to introduce a renewal process for those who are permanently disabled and whose situation will not change," Ward said.

The DfT did not respond when asked whether it would review the blue badge application process for people with permanent disabilities.

Gould added: "The current national guidance forced [Ward] to jump through unnecessary hoops to secure support that he was ultimately entitled to receive.

"This case highlights everything that is wrong with the current blue badge system across the country."

Gould acknowledged that the blue badge scheme was susceptible to fraud and misuse.

Figures showed 10 people were prosecuted for misusing blue badges by Norfolk County Council during the past financial year, following 120 reports of misuse.

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