Blue Badge thefts in London reaches highest level - ‘Not a victimless crime’

The Blue Badge scheme allows drivers who hold one, free and heavily discounted parking prices across the UK.

They can also park in disabled bays on streets without a time limit unless there is a sign detailing one and on single or double yellow lines for up to three hours unless there is a "no loading" sign.

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The stolen blue badges in London however, have been primarily used to access free parking.

Data by the campaign group Blue Badge Fraud Investigations revealed that one in five blue badges in urban areas could have been stolen.

Unmesh Desai, London Assembly Labour spokesperson for policing and crime said that this is the outcome of a “perfect storm of an overstretched Metropolitan Police force and cuts to council budgets”.

He also encouraged the Department for Transport to share more information from the Blue Badge database with police forces so that those being misused can be “better identified”.

Desai said: “Blue badge theft is not a victimless crime. Behind each of these numbers is a Londoner robbed of their ability to live and travel independently – and a criminal using their badge to avoid parking fines and effectively defraud taxpayers.”

According to Department for Transport data, there are currently 2.5 million blue badge holders in the UK, up from 2.4 million in 2022.

Between April 2022, and March 2023, 1.14 million Blue Badges were issued, an increase of 101,000 badges compared with the previous year.

Meanwhile, Paul Stowey, founder of Blue Badge Fraud Investigations, explained that the statistics are a “sad reflection” on London in 2024.

Stowey stated: “I warn offenders: the badges have serial numbers on the front. They are easy to identify and it's an easy crime to solve if the police can prioritise it.

“The courts take a very dim view of drivers who use stolen badges.”

If someone is found to be illegally using a Blue Badge, they can be hit with a £1,000 fine and the permit could be taken off them.

In 2021, the number of drivers who were prosecuted for misusing the Blue Badge system was 698, with London having the most cases, followed by the West Midlands and Yorkshire.

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A recent report highlighted how more than two-thirds of drivers admitted they had witnessed someone misusing a disabled parking space.