HEREFORDSHIRE Council's parking team seized 75 blue badges during the last financial year, in a crack-down on mis-use.

A council spokesman said: "We have been working to proactively combat the display of illegitimate disabled badges."

Of the 75 badges seized in the county, with 50 of those being seized since January 2015, one was a fake badge; eight were seized from drivers where the actual badge holder was found to be deceased; 16 were expired badges, still being used; 43 badges were seized from drivers where the badge holders were present with the vehicles.

Seven expired badges were actually surrendered to enforcement officers.

James Hughes, principal parking services officer said, “We will take a robust approach to protect the measures we use to assist people with mobility issues from being abused. There is not only a financial impact on the council when someone obtains free parking by displaying an illegitimate badge, there is also an impact on genuine disabled badge holders when the spaces provided are taken by people that do not need them. For this reason we consider this type of behaviour socially unacceptable.

"We have a range of sanctions available to us to combat this problem where drivers are caught, including withdrawal of the disabled badge and criminal charges against the driver caught using the badge."

He added: "So far, a formal caution has been issued, and other cases are now being considered for a formal prosecution in a criminal court.

"When someone uses a disabled badge in any other circumstance other than when the badge holder is accompanying them for that journey they are committing a criminal offence, and they can face a £1000 fine and a criminal record."