Something didn't feel quite right to civil enforcement officer Graham Berry as he witnessed a driver park up in a disabled bay in Shoplatch, Shrewsbury, earlier this year. Inspecting the details on the displayed blue badge, he noticed they weren't consistent with the apparent age of the driver he'd seen. He took action by contacting Wendy Williams of the Blue Badge Team who was able to confirm that the badge owner was actually at work in Wem when the badge was used. Graham issued a Penalty Charge Notice and referred the incident to public protection support officer Amy Brunton and her mentor, professional officer Stacy Arnold who investigated the incident.
The woman in question was 29 and illegally using her mother's badge to park in a disabled bay. Instead of accepting the penalty, she challenged it. After reviewing all the relevant facts, the decision to prosecute was taken and the court issued a fine of £1000, and she was also ordered to pay the council's costs of £2,432 and a £400 surcharge.
Amy Brunton (pictured) said, "It's a great result and I hope this outcome will reiterate to the Shropshire public that we are committed to investigating and taking proportionate but robust action against offenders and ensuring that Shropshire's parking concession for disabled people is protected and available for those that actually need them".
Amy added, "This kind of work is very much a team effort across the departments and the Trading Standards & Parking Enforcement team work closely with colleagues in the Blue Badge team to investigate and tackle any abuse of the disabled persons parking scheme."
Amy has recently completed a Regulatory Compliance Officer Apprenticeship with distinction and said that, along with her mentor, Stacy Arnold, it has helped her learn and develop the necessary skills and knowledge to undertake investigations like this and improve compliance.
Investigations into Blue Badge misuse rely on strong collaborative work between teams within the Business & Consumer Protection Service, led by Frances Darling. Our civil enforcement officers are regularly on patrol and best placed to report their suspicions to the Trading Standards team, who then investigate potential offences with the help and assistance of the Blue Badge processing team.
Frances Darling, Head of Business & Consumer Protection Service said:
“Blue Badge misuse is a criminal offence and directly affects some of the most vulnerable people in Shropshire, those with both visible and hidden disabilities, including, for example mobility issues and autism. Ensuring that disabled persons' parking places are readily available for those that actually need them is a key priority of the service and I hope that the outcome of this prosecution reassures the public that Shropshire Council is committed to protecting residents from any kind of fraud or abuse.”