The former owner of an illegal Bristol airport car park spent Christmas at home after being released from prison, where he was sent despite being severely disabled.

Geoffrey Wedlake, 64, ran two car parks on greenbelt land close to Bristol International Airport in breach of planning regulations.

In July last year, North Somerset Council took him to court and he was ordered to pay £15,000 in fines and a further £16,000 court costs – or face prison. He was given a year to pay.

However, Mr Wedlake, of Hyatts Wood Road, Backwell, suffered a stroke in February, which left him blind, unable to walk or feed himself and needing 24-hour care. He also suffers from diabetes.

This left him unable to raise the cash and council officials took him back to court a few weeks ago.

He was sent to Horfield Prison for 146 days, almost five months.

He served about 10 days of the sentence before his family and friends managed to raise the cash, getting him out in time for Christmas.

On seeing a medical report, a copy of which has been seen by The Bristol Post, the court reduced the fine to just £1,000 but North Somerset Council refused to change its demand for £16,000 in costs, leaving Mr Wedlake unable to pay.

While in prison his family worked tirelessly to get him released and managed to persuade the council to reduce its costs by half, leaving the family needing to find £9,000 to get him out.

His sons Gregory and Clinton have previously been fined almost £20,000 each after breaching enforcement notices concerning the land next to Tall Pines Golf Club.

Greg Wedlake, 38, claims the prison is unable to offer his father the care he needs.

He said: "If he had stayed in that prison it would have killed him. He was going downhill fast. I pleaded with the council to see sense and reduce their costs. They ignored me at first but in the end saw sense.

"My father is a shell of the man he was since he had a stroke, which we're sure was brought on by the stress of the court case."

He told The Bristol Post how a fellow inmate had to help shower his father and dress him while he was inside.

He added: "When we went to visit him, he couldn't walk up the stairs to get to the prison visitor's room so we had to go through the prison to see him. He was in a bad way.

"It seemed to us that he didn't eat properly and wasn't getting the care he needed. Another prisoner should not have had to look after him like that - the prison should have taken care of that. It's a disgrace.

"He needed to be in a special prison where he could get the care he required – that's a basic human right, surely?

"There was no way we could pay the original costs, but in the end we managed to scrape enough together by borrowing from family and friends to get him out. We had to - he was going down hill fast."

In an attempt to get his father's sentence reduced, Greg Wedlake had even written to his MP Liam Fox, who pledged his support.

Mr Wedlake ran two car parks. One at land off Hyatts Wood Road and another site next to Tall Pines Golf Club at Downside, both close to Bristol International Airport.

The council served enforcement notices on him in a bid to preserve the greenbelt land. Mr Wedlake later applied for planning permission for car parking at the Hyatts Wood Road, but was refused it.

Car owners were charged £25 a week to park. It costs £64 for a week in the airport's long stay car park, if not booked in advance.

The council has argued for some years now that illegal car parks on the greenbelt land around the airport are ruining the countryside.

Up until a few years ago the council did not issue notices for such businesses to stop trading without planning permission because the authority feared compensation claims from people who claimed to suffer loss of business. However, that policy has since changed.

Nick Yates, a North Somerset Council spokesman, said: "The council brought this prosecution. We put the facts before the court and the court found the case proved.

"It is up to the court what fines and sentences it imposes on someone who has been found guilty."

The Prison Service refused to discuss Mr Wedlake's case.

A spokesman said: "The Prison Service looks to meet the needs of all prisoners with disabilities by ensuring that adjustments are made to facilities on a case-by-case basis as well as satisfying individual needs by making adjustments to prison routines, where necessary.

"All prisons should have a disability liaison officer whose role it is to co-ordinate and give out information about disability to prisoners.

"Every prison governor must take reasonable steps to provide auxiliary aids or services to prisoners who have a disability".

Horfield Prison was unavailable for comment.