Blue Badge thefts soar in the scramble for parking places

THEFTS of Blue Badge parking permits have quadrupled in four years because of the squeeze on parking spaces and escalating charges, motoring organisations claim.

Statistics from the Local Government Association show that the theft of permits for the disabled has risen by 14 per cent in the past 12 months and increased fourfold since 2013.

The AA said competition for parking spaces and rising charges meant disabled badges were treated as a “get out of jail free” card, allowing desperate motorists to park.

The LGA, representing 370 councils across England and Wales, said thefts of Blue Badges went up from 2,556 in 2016 to 2,921 in 2017, marking a rise for the fifth year running. Just 656 thefts were recorded in 2013.

Edmund King, AA president, said: “A Blue Badge can be a licence to park anywhere. An unintended and totally unjustified consequence of the squeeze on parking spaces and escalating exorbitant costs means that some selfish drivers will do anything to beg, steal or borrow a Blue Badge … without a thought for those who really need it.”

More than two million disabled people use Blue Badges for parking in pay and display bays and for up to three hours on yellow lines. In London, badge holders are exempt from the congestion charge, saving them £2,500 a year.