Another driver has been prosecuted by Sutton Council at Croydon Magistrates Court for misusing a Blue Badge.

Ms Stacey Gilbert, aged 31, of Langdon Road, Morden, was summonsed to appear before Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 5 May where she pleaded guilty to misusing her mother’s Blue Badge.

Ms Gilbert apologised for using the badge when she knew she wasn’t supposed to – and stated that this would not happen again. In addition, she said she had not intended to be aggressive when she tried to retrieve the badge from the parking services officer.

She received a 12 months’ conditional discharge and was ordered to pay full prosecution costs of £350 and a victim surcharge of £15 – making £365 in total.

This is the latest prosecution in Sutton Council’s crackdown on Blue Badge fraudsters.

At Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 31 March, five drivers were sentenced for fraudulent use of Blue Badges. Three of the Badges had belonged to close relatives, another driver had used a lost Badge and another Badge had belonged to a deceased person. They received a combined bill of nearly £2,000 in fines, costs and victim surcharges – with the largest fine amounting to £300 and the largest order for costs amounting to £375.

Drivers are being summonsed by Sutton Council under Section 1 of the Fraud Act.