A FIRST aider has complained about the lack of parking at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary's emergency department.

Mrs Karen Todd, of Meltham, is a contact centre officer at Kirklees Direct in Huddersfield.

She is the office first aider and had to take a colleague with a severed toe to the Infirmary.

They arrived at the A&E entrance at about 9am to find the parking spaces for dropping off casualties cordoned off.

Mrs Todd said she had no choice but to leave the car on double yellow lines at the front of the hospital while she helped the woman inside.

She returned five minutes later and found a notice saying she had parked illegally and attendants would return to clamp the car.

But Mrs Todd was not penalised as she moved the car to the main car park.

She said a security guard told her she would not have been clamped. However, she was annoyed at being threatened when the Infirmary had taken away parking places without providing alternatives.

"People come into A&E in distress most of the time and who wants to think about having to find somewhere else to park the car?" she said.

"The Infirmary has not catered for drop-off parking at A&E."

A spokesman for Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust said the lay-by had been cordoned off for health and safety reasons while building work was being carried out on an extension to the department. It was expected to take another five weeks.

He advised anyone arriving by car to tell the receptionist their car was outside then the attendants would ensure no warnings were issued or clamps put on.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused," he said.