Trivial sentences for blue badge frauds

We've looked before at blue badge fraud (click the label at the foot of the post). It's surprisingly widespread, and in London a disabled blue badge can save you from several thousand pounds worth of parking charges and congestion charge payments a year, as well as giving the opportunity to park in a disabled space.

Lambeth Council recently prosecuted 20 people for blue badge fraud. Total fines amounted to £3,800 and costs awarded to Lambeth Council totalled £3,105. That's an average fine of a pitiful £190.

Alfred Cutmore, a chauffeur from Sidcup in Kent, was found using a badge that later turned out to be stolen. Suspicions were aroused when Cutmore, from Langley Close, Sidcup, was spotted in Coin Street, Waterloo, using a badge that had had its expiry date tampered with.

He was interviewed under caution and later pleaded guilty to six charges of using a stolen and date altered badge, being fined a total of £300 and ordered to pay costs of £215.

In another case, Keshava Raghubeer of Oakdale Road SW16, was found to be using a blue badge previously owned by his father, who had died in 2006. Mr Raghubeer admitted using the badge to park in a disabled bay outside his Streatham home. He also pleaded guilty in court and was fined £250 and ordered to pay costs of £215.

Annette Richmond of Southwell Road, SE5, was also fined £500 after admitting altering the date on her deceased mother’s badge to extend its use. She was also ordered to pay costs of £115.

These petty fines will deter no one. It should be the invariable rule that the vehicle will be confiscated, and sold or crushed.

A thriving trade exists in stolen blue badges, which are usually obtained by breaking into disabled people’s cars. Lambeth Council operates a ‘White Badge’ scheme to combat this problem. The white badge allows holders to park in disabled bays in Lambeth overnight without having to display their blue badge. White badges show the vehicle registration number which means they are no use to anyone else and therefore are unlikely to be targeted by thieves.

The blue badge scheme is clearly wide open to abuse.