A woman who used her dead mum's disabled badge to park on double yellow lines on the school run has had to pay nearly £3,000 in charges. Carly Kent, 43, was caught after the council launched a crackdown on Blue Badge fraud.
She was seen parking the car on the double yellow lines without the badge holder present. They later discovered that the badge holder, Kent's mum, was dead. She was interviewed under caution and admitted using the badge. She pleaded guilty by post to misuse of a disabled person's badge.
Kent, of Chancel Close, Hillingdon was handed a fine of £440, a victim surcharge of £176 and had to pay the council's prosecution costs of £2,342. A Hillingdon Council spokesperson said: "The counter-fraud team had been actively patrolling for instances of Blue Badge fraud in Uxbridge on 14 November 2022, when colleagues in the council's parking service alerted them to a suspected misuse during pick-up times at a local school.
"The team later discovered Ms Kent using the Blue Badge to park on double-yellow lines, without the badge holder present. The counter-fraud team's investigation revealed the badge belonged to Ms Kent's deceased mother, but it wasn't until she was interviewed under caution that Ms Kent admitted displaying the badge."
Cllr Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council's Cabinet Member for Residents' Services, added: "We're committed to ensuring vulnerable adults in Hillingdon can live active and independent lives. This is an appalling case. The misuse of Blue Badges is just not acceptable.
"It prevents our most vulnerable residents and visitors who have genuine needs from parking within easy access to the local businesses and services they rely on. We'll always do everything in our power to clampdown on fraudsters, take action and stamp out this selfish behaviour in our borough."
