Three drivers found guilty of abusing Blue Badges for parking

Three drivers have been ordered to pay fines totalling £2,468 after being found using cancelled Blue Badges to park.

Jasmine Sinclair, of Rainbow Road, Erith, displayed a stolen Blue Badge when she parked in a disabled bay in Edmund Road, Welling in May.   

Josefina Lusende, of Foots Cray High Street, also displayed a stolen Blue Badge to park in a restricted parking zone in High Street, Sidcup, in January. 

Michael Cameron of Heathfield Terrace, Plumstead, parked in Edmund Road, Welling, on two separate occasions in May displaying a Blue Badge that had been reported lost and cancelled. 

Blue Badge misuse is a criminal offence that can lead to prosecution. Offenders can get a fine of up to £1,000, an order to pay towards the costs of the council prosecution and a criminal record.   

Only people who have a physical or non-physical disability affecting their mobility are eligible for a Blue Badge.

Councillor Peter Craske, Bexley’s cabinet member for places, said: “It saddens me greatly to learn that this type of dishonest, shameful abuse is happening in our borough.

“I am pleased that our officers are continuing to be vigilant with their Blue Badge checks and offenders are being brought to justice.  

“I wonder if these offenders realise that they took away a parking space from someone in genuine need.

“When Blue Badge holders cannot park close enough to where they need to go, they may end up abandoning their appointments or planned trips.  

“We will continue our routine checks and prosecute without exception.

“We have the means to check the validity of a Blue Badge instantly. So, if you are misusing a Blue Badge, it is only a question of time before you are caught and prosecuted.” 

(Picture: Jakub Pabis/Pexels)