DRIVERS have been slammed for ‘unacceptable’ behaviour after a series of illegitimate disabled badges were seized.
A total of 75 blue badges have been taken from Herefordshire in 2014/15, including three from cars in Ledbury, after a crack-down by Herefordshire Council.
The parking team, blue badge team and trading standards and community protection officers worked together to get rid of the badges, with 50 of them removed since January 1 this year.
In Ledbury, two of the passes had expired while another badge holder was not present with the vehicle.
James Hughes, principal parking services officer at the council, said: “We will take a robust approach to protect the measures we use to assist people with mobility issues from being abused.
“There is not only a financial impact on the council when someone obtains free parking by displaying an illegitimate badge, there is also an impact on genuine disabled badge holders when the spaces provided are taken by people that do not need them.
“For this reason, we consider this type of behaviour socially unacceptable.
“We have a range of sanctions available to us to combat this problem where drivers are caught, including withdrawal of the disabled badge and criminal charges against the driver caught using the badge.”
People can face a £1,000 fine and a criminal record if caught committing the offence.
