Four drivers have been fined for misusing Blue Badges as part of Bromley Council’s crackdown on the scam.

The drivers were ordered to pay fines totalling £1,530 after pleading guilty at Bromley Magistrates’ Court for the incidents which happened between November last year and January this year.

One offender, Sylvia Morris from Chislehurst, was found to be using her husband’s blue badge which had been cancelled after his death a few weeks earlier.

The other three drivers, Alexandra Chart from Paddock Wood, Mohammed Sheikh from Norbury, and Lynda Davis from Kidbrooke, displayed a Blue Badge to benefit from the scheme’s parking concessions in the absence of the badge holder.

Councillor Colin Smith, executive councillor for environment, said: “Our campaign to protect the Blue Badge Scheme remains ongoing with hundreds of Blue Badge checks taking place throughout the borough every day. 

“Our officers are trained to spot fake or altered badges and can very quickly identify a cancelled badge. 

“To avoid a fine and a criminal record, drivers should never risk displaying a Blue Badge when the holder is not present or nearby, or be tempted to display a cancelled badge.  

“I really would encourage any driver minded to try and cheat the system in Bromley to think very carefully indeed before doing so.

“You might save yourself a few pounds here and there in the short term, but you will get caught, you will be prosecuted and you will then receive a criminal record and be left worrying about all manner of things in everyday life in terms of reputation, work and insurance, etc.  

“I ask you. Is it really worth all that risk and hassle?”  

Blue Badge misuse is a criminal offence which can lead to a £1,000 fine and confiscation of the badge. 

Anyone who suspects that a blue badge is being used for the benefit of a person who is not the badge holder can report their concerns at: www.bromley.gov.uk/reportbluebadge