Sutton Council's crackdown on Blue Badge fraudsters continues with another driver convicted under Section 1 of the Fraud Act. Miss Lynsey Greenwood, aged 35, of Lark Way, Carshalton, pleaded guilty to misusing a Blue Badge when she appeared at Sutton Magistrates' Court on Monday, 18 January.
During one of the frequent joint operations between Police and Sutton Council's parking services team, Miss Greenwood was alone in her BMW when she parked the vehicle in a designated disabled bay in Lodge Place, Sutton, on Thursday 1 October at around 16:00hrs.
Miss Greenwood told parking officers the Blue Badge belonged to her ex-partner, for whom she is a carer as he is partially sighted. She said she was waiting in the car to collect him from the shops, although they had not arranged a time to meet up, nor did Miss Greenwood have any way of contacting him as he did not have a mobile phone.
At 16:10hrs, Miss Greenwood walked into Sutton High Street to locate the Blue Badge Holder but returned about 25 minutes later having been unable to find him.
Miss Greenwood told the Court that she assumed she was allowed to use the Blue Badge in a disabled bay whilst waiting for the Badge Holder.
A Blue Badge is issued for the sole use of a named individual and is only valid when it is being used by, or for, the disabled person when that person is present. It is stated clearly on the Badge that misuse may constitute a criminal offence.
Miss Greenwood was fined £270 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £27 and Sutton Council costs of £522 - making a total of £819. The sum is to be paid at £50 per month.
Police and Sutton Council Parking Services' officers carry out joint patrols to stop misuse of the borough's 500 disabled parking bays which are for residents who have permanent or severe mobility difficulties and want to park conveniently for the shops.
Cllr Jill Whitehead, Chair of the Environment and Neighbourhoods Committee at Sutton Council, said:
"Misusing Blue Badges is not a trivial matter. Blue Badges are issued to help disabled people have convenient access to busy town centres.
"As there are only a limited number of disabled parking bays in Sutton, it is really important that they are reserved for people who are genuinely disabled and that Blue Badges are used only by the people named on them."
The vast majority of Sutton's 7,144 Blue Badge Holders use the Badges as they are intended. However, a small minority of drivers deliberately misuse the Blue Badge privilege and this has led to around 50 successful prosecutions since 2013 - 24 of them since the beginning of January 2015 - making Sutton one the London's most proactive boroughs in seeking to protect disabled bays for Blue Badge Holders.
Sutton Council is due to bring four more Blue Badge cases before Magistrates at Croydon on Tuesday, 26 January 2016.
Miss Greenwood told parking officers the Blue Badge belonged to her ex-partner, for whom she is a carer as he is partially sighted. She said she was waiting in the car to collect him from the shops, although they had not arranged a time to meet up, nor did Miss Greenwood have any way of contacting him as he did not have a mobile phone.
At 16:10hrs, Miss Greenwood walked into Sutton High Street to locate the Blue Badge Holder but returned about 25 minutes later having been unable to find him.
Miss Greenwood told the Court that she assumed she was allowed to use the Blue Badge in a disabled bay whilst waiting for the Badge Holder.
A Blue Badge is issued for the sole use of a named individual and is only valid when it is being used by, or for, the disabled person when that person is present. It is stated clearly on the Badge that misuse may constitute a criminal offence.
Miss Greenwood was fined £270 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £27 and Sutton Council costs of £522 - making a total of £819. The sum is to be paid at £50 per month.
Police and Sutton Council Parking Services' officers carry out joint patrols to stop misuse of the borough's 500 disabled parking bays which are for residents who have permanent or severe mobility difficulties and want to park conveniently for the shops.
Cllr Jill Whitehead, Chair of the Environment and Neighbourhoods Committee at Sutton Council, said:
"Misusing Blue Badges is not a trivial matter. Blue Badges are issued to help disabled people have convenient access to busy town centres.
"As there are only a limited number of disabled parking bays in Sutton, it is really important that they are reserved for people who are genuinely disabled and that Blue Badges are used only by the people named on them."
The vast majority of Sutton's 7,144 Blue Badge Holders use the Badges as they are intended. However, a small minority of drivers deliberately misuse the Blue Badge privilege and this has led to around 50 successful prosecutions since 2013 - 24 of them since the beginning of January 2015 - making Sutton one the London's most proactive boroughs in seeking to protect disabled bays for Blue Badge Holders.
Sutton Council is due to bring four more Blue Badge cases before Magistrates at Croydon on Tuesday, 26 January 2016.