Hundreds of pounds in fines were handed out in court yesterday to people fraudulently using ‘blue badges’ registered to dead and disabled relatives.

A crackdown on blue badge fraud was carried out by Waltham Forest Council in February of this year to catch people parking in disabled bays around Waltham Forest.

A council employee was amongst those prosecuted at Thames Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Shaiela Malik of Ramsey Road in Forest Gate, was charged with misuse of the badge after parking her car in a disabled bay at Walthamstow Town Hall where she was employed by the council.

A letter was read out in mitigation for Miss Malik who is a carer for her mother, whose badge she had used. She wrote to the court to explain that she was leave at the time of the contravention due to her uncle’s death, but had gone into the office.

“My mum has been in a wheelchair since 1995.

“I had taken annual leave on February 15 after a close member of my family had passed away.

“Without thinking I used the badge to park in a disabled bay.”

Miss Malik no longer works for Waltham Forest Council.

Nargis Bahar Islam, 43, of Carlisle Road in Leyton was caught using a dead man’s badge on February 19.

After parking in a disabled bay in Church Lane, Leytonstone, she was challenged by the council’s investigator.

Enquiries made by a police special constable revealed the blue badge was registered to a Mr Udin, Mrs Islam’s father-in-law.

Mrs Islam whose father-in-law died in December 2103 initially argued that the paperwork, including the blue badge, were on her dashboard as she was on her way to the council offices to hand them in.

She denied that she had placed it there and then driven into the space with the intention of fraudulently using the badge.

After some questioning from the court’s legal advisor she admitted that she had been dishonest.

Mrs Islam, 43, was fined £525 in total for court costs and fines.

Satpaul Pati, 46, of St Albans Road in Ilford was also convicted and fined £525.

His Porsche was found by the council’s investigator in Leytonstone on February 4.

He wrote to the court to plead guilty but added that he was ‘surprised’ by the council for taking him to court.

He added: “I feel this is a waste of the council’s time and funds.”