Blue Badge thefts have skyrocketed in London leaving some disabled victims "trapped in their own homes" or unable to work, it was revealed on Tuesday.
Between January 2015 and November this year more than 36,000 of the parking permits for people with health conditions were reported stolen, data from the Metropolitan Police shows.
Haringey saw the most crimes, with over 6,000 badges taken during the time period. The statistics show that rates of theft have almost quadrupled in the last decade.
Beckenham and Penge MP Liam Conlon said "criminals are targeting disabled people" and "stealing" their independence.
He called on councils to use their existing powers to prioritise checking Blue Badges.
Mr Conlon is one of a handful of disabled MPs who has been issued a Blue Badge following an accident as a teenager that left him needing a hip replacement.
“It’s shocking that Blue Badge theft has more than quadrupled in the past decade, and I know from first-hand experience the devastating impact this will have on disabled people," he said.
"When someone steals a Blue Badge, they’re stealing someone’s independence – limiting the ability of disabled people and their families to socialise, go to work, and live a normal life.
“I’ve spoken to victims of Blue Badge theft and disability organisations in recent weeks, and I’m determined that we end this injustice.
“It’s wrong that criminals are targeting disabled people, often some of the most vulnerable people in society, whilst defrauding everyone else at the same time as the stolen badges are used to avoid thousands of pounds in parking charges.
“I’m calling on local authorities across Britain to use their existing powers to prioritise checking Blue Badges. And where they are stolen, to issue fines and bring the perpetrators to court so we can clamp down on this.”
London Councils has calculated that the cost of losing one of the permits to a disabled person is at least £6,000 in increased parking charges, plus the impact of reporting and replacing it.
Victims have reported that criminals will sell their stolen badges for upwards of £500 to people looking to dodge parking charges.
Government data suggests that thefts are a national issue as London has the lowest number of Blue Badges in the country as a proportion of population.
Roxanne Hughes from Bromley, whose six-year-old son’s blue badge was stolen recently, said: “It was devastating when my son’s badge was stolen from our car, from right outside our home.
“Even travelling short distances can be difficult for us to manage, so losing the badge had a really significant impact on us as a family.
“It stopped us from doing normal things and I’ve been living in fear that thieves might come back and steal the new one.
“I feel that my son’s disability has been exploited for financial gain and I am unsettled that his photo on the badge is in the hands of someone who should not have it.”
Megan Barnett, Policy and Public Affairs Officer at Transport for All, said: “Blue Badges give disabled people easier access to appointments, working, shopping and socialising.
“When someone steals a blue badge, it robs us of these things. Getting a replacement is distressing, stressful, time-consuming, and costly in many areas. It’s outrageous that disabled people are left dealing with the consequences of crime, but little is done to deter it.
“It’s time local authorities cracked down on thieves who steal and illegally misuse blue badges, so that disabled people can get on with living.”
