A CRACKDOWN on motorists who fraudulently use disabled blue badges has been launched.


Waltham Forest Council has set up a new specialist team to tackle non-disabled drivers who use the cards to avoid normal parking restrictions such as yellow lines - warning those who are caught could be fined up to £1,000.
 

Blue badges are supposed to be used only by genuinely disabled people to reduce the distance they have to travel after parking their car, but there are thought to be thousands of people nationwide who use them fraudulently.


It comes after criticism in recent years that the authority has been failing to do enough about the problem.
 

An investigation last year by the Audit Commission found that Waltham Forest Council failed to uncover a single case of blue badge fraud in both 2009 and 2010.
 

In comparison it found a neighbouring London borough had identified 172 cases worth £86,000.
 

Cllr Clyde Loakes, cabinet member for environment, described blue badge fraudsters as "despicable".


He said: "The fact that people actively take advantage of something that is designed to help people coping with disabilities is beyond the understanding of all right-minded people.


“However, we have to deal with the reality and at Waltham Forest Council we have decided enough is enough.


"In addition to being morally reprehensible it is also a criminal offence to use a fake, lost or stolen badge, or to use someone else's blue badge.
 

"This new team will pursue anyone we catch and make them liable for a fine up to £1,000.”
 

The council says the new team will carry out patrols in the borough's streets but will also investigate tip-offs from members of the public.


“This type of fraud costs the taxpayer thousands of pounds annually," added Cllr Loakes.


"Help us stamp out this sort of behaviour by shopping anyone who you know is out shopping while misusing a blue badge.”


A council spokesman added: "To report someone you suspect is misusing a blue badge in the borough, phone 0845 331 2392 and select option 5."


Earlier this year the government introduced tougher security and identification features to make the cards harder to counterfeit.
 

There are an estimated 2.5 million blue badges in circulation in the UK and the fraud is thought to cost around £46million every year.