Blue Badge thefts have quadrupled in five years

The Local Government Association has warned that thefts of Blue Badges have risen 42 per cent over the last two year, reaching 2,921 thefts in 2017.

With over two million disabled people using Blue Badges for parking in pay and display bays and for up to three hours on yellow lines, the increase in thefts marks a fifth successive yearly rise, with 656 recorded in 2013.

The number of people caught abusing the scheme has more than doubled with 1,131 successful council prosecutions in 2017. The LGA said councils should continue to crackdown on dishonest motorists by prosecuting offenders and seizing Blue Badges suspected of being used illegally.

Martin Tett, LGA Transport spokesman, said: "Thefts of Blue Badges is clearly a crime on the rise and it is alarming that incidents have risen by more than 40 per cent in just two years. Illegally using a Blue Badge is not a victimless crime. For disabled people, Blue Badges are a vital lifeline that helps them get out and about to visit shops or family and friends. Callous thieves and unscrupulous fraudsters using them illegally are robbing disabled people of this independence.

"Despite limited resources, councils continue to work hard to crackdown on this growing crime. More Blue Badge fraudsters than ever are being brought to justice by councils who will come down hard on drivers illegally using them. It is important to catch these criminals in the act. To help councils win the fight against Blue Badge fraud, residents must keep tipping us off about people they suspect are illegally using a badge, bearing in mind people’s need for a badge might not be obvious.”