Six caught in crackdown on Blue Badge misusers in Central Bedfordshire

Six dishonest drivers could be facing court action after the council cracked down on Blue Badge disabled parking fraud.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Council officers examined 172 Blue Badges between October 24 and November 7 to ensure disabled parking permits are valid and being used correctly across Central Bedfordshire.

Out of these, they discovered six instances where the badge holder wasn’t present, which Central Bedfordshire Council will be investigating further.

The previous Blue Badge spot-checks earlier this year led to nine successful prosecutions, with fines adding up to over £5,700.

NewsNews
News

A council spokesman said: " These allocated bays provide a fundamental lifeline for disabled people, allowing them to live independently and go about their daily lives easily by giving them convenient priority parking spaces close to their destination.

"The rules around using Blue Badge parking permits are very clear.

It is a criminal offence for a person to use a badge when the badge holder is not present; to use a badge that does not belong to them; to create a copy of a badge; to use an expired badge or to alter a badge.

The user could be fined up to £1,000, although this can potentially increase to more than £5,000 in cases of fraud.

If you suspect someone of illegally using a Blue Badge for parking, you can report them by calling 0300 300 8035 or by emailing [email protected].