Blue Badge sting operation 4 March 2011

Brent Council performed a sting operation on 4 March checking on legal and illegal users of disabled parking badges in and around Wembley High Road. The sting was a joint operation with council officers from audit & investigations, CCTV, parking attendants, communications, the blue badge team as well as PCSOs and police officers all assisted on the day.
The BBC as well as other film companies and local news reporters covered the day. The report featured on BBC London news on the day.

[@lordwalker1711]

Sixty pounds, what a joke, should be at least five hundred to a thousand, pounds, people would think twice.

[@leonwp60]

blue badge misuse should be much stronger fine and repeat offence with badge holders knowledge should result in removal of badge for a period.

[@rboudville]

The Fines in Perth, Western Australia for disabled parking-bay offence is AUD$2,000.00 (Two thousand Australian dollars). In Russia, the offender's car is picked up with a Grapple Machine and CRUSHED into a Skip Bin on a Flat Top Truck, in full view of the public. I live in Perth

[@giancola123]

Good work, I have a question for you, What can be done in the case of disabled parking abuse by badge holders and non badge holders on supermarket car parks if the supermarket doesn't enforce the laws?

[@carologi]

My neighbour claimed she needed to park close to places because her 5 y. o. boy likes to run away & she can't chase him, He's almost 12 now and she still has the badge! In fact I almost ran her over on 2x, running from the park into the street chasing her dog. So much for chasing things. She takes regular walks with the dog. I reported this & the man said he couldn't do a thing but put a note in the records to check at renewal time 2 years later. I think her doctor has a soft touch...

[@Cumbriahandyman]

Wish my council would have a similar crackdown.

[@brianwhitelegg8716]

Good. It's a shame that more councils don't do this. To see a blue badge being used by an individual who RUNS into a shop because its due to close is truly galling. I know that not all disabilities are visible but a blue badge should be restricted to those who have a physical disability, those who need to be able to open the door wide, those who need to be close to the shop due to being unable to walk long distances.

[@PRACTICALBUSHCRAFTSURVIVAL]

im a Veteran with a blue badge and i see this miss use all the time in asda forty lane . trust me your bound to find 10 or more each day...

[@giancola123]

@BrentCouncilLondon Yes I agree the point of "It's up to the supermarket to police them" but in my experience they never have and don't care to either, it's all about cost saving and profit making, therefore I suggest a petition to the government to make it law for supermarkets and the like to police them as they should and if they don't then hit them where it will hurt the most... let's say £1000 per bay per day, that will be a start.

[@bestamerica]

' normal person is a good walking then DONT parking on the HC parking lot... find another empty parking then park it

[@BrentCouncilLondon]

Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, the Asda car park is privately owned and the council has no enforcement powers concerning disabled parking facilities in private car park. Misuse of these bays is a matter for the owner of the car park.

[@BrentCouncilLondon]

@giancola123 If a car is in a supermarket its on private land so it is up to the supermarket to police their compound. However, we can work in partnership with them if they invite us in....

[@BrentCouncilLondon]

@lrzero79 Hi - out of the 19 caught, most were warned but we are prosecuting two people.

[@tonypayne5564]

There are many people using Blue badges legally but are not really handicapped, I have seen on many occasions people exiting there vehicle and walking unaided and without any signs of a disability. Filmed and the Blue badge should be ceased and go before a review panel, It Needs a nation wide purge by the council and minimum £1000/2 thousand fine