Just over ten per cent of disabled blue badges reported missing from Harrow last year were replaced.

Statistics from the Department for Transport showed that 103 badges in the borough were logged as either stolen or lost in 2016/17.

Replacement passes were issued to 13 people, which equates to around 12.6 per cent of those which disappeared.

The data showed that 27 people had their blue badges stolen in this period. But none of these resulted in a prosecution, despite Harrow having the necessary procedures in place.

This was a common occurrence around England – 33 of the Local Authorities with a prosecution policy, including four other London boroughs, did not see any punishments handed out.

A spokesperson for Harrow Council explained that those who have their blue badges stolen should report it to the police and the council so it can be marked as cancelled on a national database.

They added that replacements can be ordered via the council by supplying a crime reference number. The procedure costs £10 and the new badges can be picked up at Harrow Civic Centre.

The Local Government Association (LGA) said that councils must continue to crackdown on blue badges being used illegally.

Nationally, the number of blue badge thefts have gone up five years in a row. The number of recorded thefts in 2015 was 2,056. This jumped to 2,921 in 2017, representing an increase of 42 per cent.

Blue badges allow people to park in pay and display spots for free for two hours, or up to three hours on yellow lines. Users are also exempt from the congestion charge.

Stolen badges are often used by fraudsters to take advantage of this, while it is also an offence to use a relative’s pass.

The LGA’s Martin Tett said: “Illegally using a blue badge is not a victimless crime.

“For disabled people, blue badges are a vital lifeline that helps them get out and about to visit shops or family and friends.

“Callous thieves and unscrupulous fraudsters using them illegally are robbing disabled people of this independence.

“Despite limited resources, councils continue to work hard to crackdown on this growing crime.

“More blue badge fraudsters than ever are being brought to justice by councils who will come down hard on drivers illegally using them.

“It is important to catch these criminals in the act. To help councils win the fight against blue badge fraud, residents must keep tipping us off about people they suspect are illegally using a badge, bearing in mind people’s need for a badge might not be obvious.”