Database clamps down on Blue Badge fraud

A crackdown on the fraudulent use of the Blue Badge parking scheme for disabled drivers has led to the seizure of 90 badges in London which were fake or stolen. Now London Councils, which represents all 33 local authorities, is expanding its Blue Badge database to cover the whole capital following the success of its nine-month pilot’ in five boroughs

A crackdown on the fraudulent use of the Blue Badge parking scheme for disabled drivers has led to the seizure of 90 badges in London which were fake or stolen.

Now London Councils, which represents all 33 local authorities, is expanding its Blue Badge database to cover the whole capital following the success of its nine-month pilot’ in five boroughs.

The five include Tower Hamlets in East London, which was one of the first authorities three years ago to launch a crackdown on Blue Badge fraud.

Now the nine-month pilot scheme pooling information about 12,000 Blue Badges reported lost or stolen, which ended in January, is being extended to all 33 London authorities.

Previously, each town hall kept its own records, but was unable to check details on Blue Badges displayed by offenders which had been issued elsewhere.