£250 fine for illegal use of a blue badge

A LLANELLI barber who thought he was a cut above the law has landed himself in court for illegally using someone else’s disabled blue badge.

Sean Jones, of Ar y Bryn, Burry Port, was caught using a badge that did not belong to him after a member of the public reported him to a Carmarthenshire Council civil enforcement officer.

Jones was parked in a disabled parking bay on Market Street, Llanelli, and with the help of a town centre-based PCSO was tracked down inside a Stepney Street barber shop.

He was asked to return to his vehicle, a purple Volkswagen, where he was met by the civil enforcement officer. On questioning, he claimed the badge belonged to his girlfriend, who had left it in the car.

When the officers suggested he call her so they could speak with her, he refused.

The badge, which actually belonged to an elderly gentleman, was then confiscated before Jones was asked to move his vehicle from the disabled parking bay.

In a prosecution brought by Carmarthenshire Council, he pleaded guilty to using a disabled blue badge that did not belong to him.

He was fined £250, with £68 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

Blue badges are prescribed under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 to provide parking concessions for people who have a permanent or substantial disability. It is an offence to misuse a blue badge, carrying a maximum fine of £1,000 plus any additional penalties for related parking offences.

Councillor Philip Hughes, executive board member for enforcement, said: “Blue badges are issued to support genuinely disabled people, not as a parking free for all. This offence has proved far more costly for this man than a pay and display parking ticket, and I hope that this is a lesson learned.”

Anyone suspicious that a blue badge is being misused should report it to Carmarthenshire Council.

Email direct@ carmarthenshire.gov.uk, call 01267 234567, or call in to a customer service Hwb in Llanelli, Ammanford or Carmarthen town centre.

RTS