A woman has been fined after being caught using the Blue Badge of an elderly man she used to care for.
Durham County Council took legal action against Carys Coates, of Hill View, Esh Winning, after a civil enforcement officer checked the Blue Badge of a car parked on double yellow lines in Stanley.
While checking the badge, a woman returned to the vehicle and had a conversation with the officer, who advised that she had not set the clock on the Blue Badge.
The matter was reported to the council’s corporate fraud team as the badge on display belonged to a man, but he was not present when the woman returned to the car.
Peterlee Magistrates Court heard that the badge belonged to an elderly man living in Ponteland, while checks on the car’s registration showed the vehicle belonged to Coates.
Coates was invited to an interview under caution, in which she told the council she had the badge as she used to be the carer of the man and admitted to using it while he was not present.
The 22-year-old pleaded guilty to misuse of a Blue Badge. She was ordered to pay a £119 fine, £250 costs, and a £48 victim surcharge.
Tracy Henderson, Durham County Council’s chief internal auditor and corporate fraud manager, said: “Blue Badge misuse undermines a vital scheme designed to help those with genuine mobility needs.
“In this case, the driver admitted to using the badge to avoid a parking ticket, knowing full well it should not have been used without the owner of the badge being present. The driver now faces a financial penalty much larger than what the parking would have cost.
“This successful prosecution demonstrates our zero-tolerance approach towards those who misuse the Blue Badge scheme and our commitment to ensuring fair access for those who genuinely need it.”