Councils treble number of successful Blue Badge prosecutions in five years

Local authorities successfully brought 985 prosecutions for Blue Badge fraud in 2015, three times the number (330) five years ago, it has been reported.

But the Local Government Association said the theft of Blue Badges had risen by a quarter in the past 12 months and trebled in three years.

There were 2,056 reported thefts in 2015, up 26% on the 1,620 the previous 12 months.

Cllr Martin Tett, LGA Transport spokesman, said: "The theft of Blue Badges is clearly a crime on the rise and it is alarming that incidents have trebled in just three years.

“Illegally using a Blue Badge is not a victimless crime. For disabled people, Blue Badges are a vital lifeline that helps them get out and about to visit shops or family and friends. Callous thieves and unscrupulous fraudsters using them illegally are robbing disabled people of this independence.”

Cllr Tett added: "Despite limited resources, councils continue to work hard to crackdown on this growing crime. More Blue Badge fraudsters than ever are being brought to justice by councils who will come down hard on drivers illegally using them.

"It is important to catch these criminals in the act. To help councils win the fight against Blue Badge fraud, residents must keep tipping us off about people they suspect are illegally using a badge, bearing in mind people’s need for a badge might not always be obvious.”

Examples of successful prosecutions included:

• Bath: six people were prosecuted for illegally using a family member's blue badge to park. They were ordered to pay a total of £6,402 in fines and costs.
• Hampshire: the county council prosecuted six cases in just three months. Cases included the use of counterfeit ones as well as altering and using an expired badge belonging to someone who is now dead.
• Ealing: the council has prosecuted or is in the process of prosecuting more than 50 drivers caught illegally using Blue Badges.
• Portsmouth: a woman who used her elderly grandmother’s disability permit while she was asleep in her care home, was hit with fines totalling £1,110 after a prosecution by the council.

A Blue Badge can only be used in a vehicle when it is being driven or used to transport the Blue Badge holder. Misuse of a Blue Badge is a criminal offence under the Road Traffic Act 1984. The maximum fine on conviction is £1,000.