People who abuse blue badges are being warned of confiscation and court action, following the prosecution of two more motorists.

An on-street enforcement exercise by Oxfordshire County Council’s counter fraud team led to two men appearing at Oxford Magistrates’ Court last week. It follows the prosecution of a woman in Oxford in May for a similar offence.

The council says the two men admitted illegally using blue badges to park in Oxford city centre.

Councillor Neil Fawcett, Cabinet Member for Community and Corporate Services, said: “People rely on their blue badges so that they can park near workplaces, supermarkets, and health facilities. Illegal use of the scheme denies a space to someone who really needs it.

“It is not acceptable to misuse this service and the recent enforcement operation shows that this council is taking action to stop this abuse.”

One man used a blue badge to park on 21 May 2024. The council’s fraud team established that he was using a badge that had belonged to his mother, who had died three years earlier.

The other man admitted buying the badge from the social media platform Snapchat.

The council says blue badge misuse is a criminal offence and can result in a fine of up to £1,000 and a criminal record. A penalty charge notice will normally be issued to anyone misusing a disabled parking bay.

As well as removing blue badges from people who are misusing and abusing the scheme, enforcement is used to raise awareness of the importance of the badges for residents who really need them.

Inappropriate use of limited disabled parking bays can result in blue badge holders missing medical appointments, not being able to get out to buy food, or get to work.

A Highways Voices podcast from 2023 underlined the scale of the issue of blue badge misuse and other evasion.

(Picture – Oxfordshire County Council)