Driver sentenced to community service over fake disability blue badge

By Toby Porter

A driver who refused to allow his supposed disabled badge to be inspected when challenged has been sentenced to do community service.

Fahah Ahmed of Abingdon Close, Camden was convicted and sentenced at Westminster Magistrates Court on February 17 this year for Fraud committed against Lambeth and misuse of a disabled person’s blue badge.

He was sentenced to a 15-month Community Order with 120 hours unpaid work after he entered a Guilty plea to all charges.

Ahmed, 28, came to the attention of Lambeth Council in March 2020 when a disabled person’s blue badge was seen displayed in his vehicle by a Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO).

The officer noticed the blue badge was in fact counterfeit. When challenged Mr Ahmed refused to allow it to be inspected and drove away.

The matter was then investigated by Lambeth council’s Parking Fraud Investigation Team.

Ahmed was prosecuted for two counts of fraud and one count of misusing a blue badge. Westminster Magistrates also awarded costs to Lambeth Council that Ahmed will have to repay.

Cllr Claire Holland, Deputy Leader and cabinet lead for Sustainable Transport, Environment and Clean Air, said: “The Blue Badges scheme works to ensure those that have disabilities that affect their mobility can get around.

“We take a zero tolerance approach to blue badge fraud because it negatively impacts on our disabled residents, and as this case demonstrates, will not hesitate in pursuing and prosecuting cases.”