Chauffeur fined for using stolen blue badge permit on South Bank

The case was one of 20 successful prosecutions by Lambeth Council for blue badge fraud in two days this month.

Chauffeur Alfred Cutmore 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 on the South Bank 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.

The total fines in the 20 cases amounted to £3,800 and costs awarded to Lambeth Council totalled £3,105 in a batch of prosecutions heard at Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court.

"These prosecutions send a clear message that we will continue to work to protect the rights of older and disabled people by clamping down on people who try to cheat the system," says Cllr Sally Prentice, Lambeth's cabinet member for environment.

"By committing this fraud, these people are preventing genuine blue badge holders from using the parking spaces that are reserved for them, which are often near to important amenities like shops and health centres.

"There really is no excuse for this behaviour and people who commit this crime need to know they risk a criminal record."

Lambeth Council says that a thriving trade exists in stolen blue badges which are usually obtained by breaking into disabled people's cars.

Lambeth 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.

• If members of the public suspect blue badge fraud in Lambeth they can report it by calling 020 7926 0586 or emailing [email protected]