Blue badge fraud prosecutions 'double over three years'

[annie]

Blue badge fraud prosecutions have doubled over three years, figures from English councils have revealed.

The Local Government Association (LGA) said professionals such as architects and lawyers were among the offenders.

Some were caught using a dead relative's pass or leaving a disabled person at home to get free parking while shopping or at work, it said.

The figures showed that there were 686 successful council prosecutions last year, up from 330 in 2010.

Councils have been cracking down on parking fraud and using new powers to confiscate blue badges they suspected were being used by someone other than the lawful holder.

Some local authorities have set up special enforcement teams to tackle the fraud.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27446243

[JaneJ]

It is disgraceful the misuse of them.

I always get dirty looks when Lee and I use ours as he is quite young (40) and I only look 21 (45)!! People assume we are abusing it.

[maureenho]

It is disgusting how the blue badges are abused.

What I have seen also that is wrong the disabled person sits in the car while the able bodied person jumps out and goes into the shops and they think that is fine, but it's wrong, you can only use the blue badge to park so the disabled person can go into the shops.

[Rosalind]

It is awful how people misuse the blue badges and think they can get away with it. I am glad they are cracking down on it.