A town centre shopper has been ordered to pay £650 for using a Blue Badge that wasn’t hers to park illegally in Watford town centre.
Edith Millwood from Romilly Drive, Watford, was fined £220 and ordered to pay £400 in prosecution costs and a £30 victim surcharge at a hearing in St Albans Magistrates Court on February 20, which she failed to attend.
When Watford Borough Council fraud investigators joined Herts police officers on patrol, they noticed a car parked on a double yellow line on Church Street with a Blue Badge displayed on the dashboard.
The badge was examined and car owner Edith said it belonged to her Mother who she claimed was in town, but after further investigation it was established that this was not true. Despite requests from officers not to, she drove off and the blue badge was later seized by the police and handed over to the local authority.
On September 14, 2018, Edith was interviewed under caution and admitted to using the Disabled Blue Badge without the Blue Badge holder being present.
Elected Mayor of Watford, Peter Taylor, said: “We will not tolerate the abuse of the Blue Badge scheme in Watford, which is in place to help people who need it. We will continue to work tirelessly with our partners to bring people who misuse the scheme to justice.
“Parking Service Manager, Justin Bloomfield said “Both the Council and the Police are fully committed to taking the strongest possible action in order to protect the scheme for those that genuinely need it.”
If you suspect that a motorist is regularly misusing a Blue Badge, please report this to the Parking Service on 01923 278890 or email fraud@threerivers.gov.uk
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