The number of successful prosecutions for misuse of disabled “blue badges” in Herefordshire has spiked over the last year.

New figures from Herefordshire Council show there were 13 successful prosecutions in the last financial year of drivers not registered as disabled using the badges to gain preferential parking, or failing to display such a badge.

This compares to an average for the previous four years of fewer than six prosecutions a year.

However the figures, released under a freedom of information request, show other crimes for which the council brought prosecutions were only around half the number in previous years.

It bought 24 successful prosecutions over trading standards, of which six related to sale of tobacco.

Over the previous four years, the average for tobacco-related prosecutions was 21.5 a year.

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There were 15 prosecutions for environmental crimes, also down on recent years, of which seven were for fly-tipping or other waste disposal offences.

Seven families were prosecuted for allowing their children to not attend school, against a four-year average of nearly 40 a year.

The council also brought four successful prosecutions relating to animals, of which two were concerned use of animal by-products.

In all, it brought 66 successful prosecutions, compared with an average for the previous four years of 125 a year.