Fined for misusing disabled blue badge

SLOUGH: A man who used his partner's disabled blue badge to park in a bay illegally and pop into the pub for a drink has been fined by magistrates.

Richard Harcup of Rochford Gardens, Wexham Lea, was spotted by council officers misusing the badge on December 5 last year. The 56-year-old used his partner’s blue badge while she was playing bingo. As he was waiting for a phone call to pick her up he parked up in a disabled bay in the High Street and went to the pub.

Officers from the corporate fraud team alongside civil enforcement officers were checking people were legitimately using blue badges in the audit. Those flouting the rules were issued with a penalty charge notice and had the blue badge seized before being requested to attend an interview under caution. Those who did attend were given a caution by way of sanction.

Harcup did initially attend the formal interview process but did not attend to receive a caution and the decision was taken to prosecute. The case was heard at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Friday 6 November.

Justices of the Peace sitting at Reading Magistrates’ Court convicted Harcup in his absence of wrongfully using a disabled person’s badge to park in disability parking bay when the badge holder was not present.

He was fined £220 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £350 and a victim surcharge of £32. The blue badge was originally seized and has now been returned to his partner due to it’s genuine need.