Fines & high costs for disabled blue badge fraud

A woman caught using her late father’s disability badge to get free parking has been forced to pay £900 at Enfield Magistrates Court. Helene West, of North Finchley, was taken to court by Enfield Council for using her deceased father's badge which expired in 2005. She was fined £435 and ordered to pay £445 in costs plus a victim surcharge of £15.

Ian Hoy, from Enfield, was fined £290 and ordered to pay costs of £445 and a £15 victim surcharge for altering his badge to make it appear though it was valid even though it had run out in August 2008.

Anastacia Kyriacou, from Edmonton, was fined £66 and ordered to pay costs of £100 and a £15 victim surcharge for using her mother's badge when she was not present.

The council has prosecuted five other people for blue badge fraud since the beginning of September. Enfield’s cabinet member for environment, Terry Neville said:

As far as I am concerned blue badge cheats are like cuckoos who go into other birds’ nests. They are stealing the rightful parking spaces for those in genuine need.