A man who used a cancelled blue badge to park his Range Rover in a controlled zone in Woolwich has been prosecuted.

Mr Abdul Khan, a businessman from Plaistow who already held two business parking permits allowing him to park in the area, denied using a blue badge to park on Anglesea Road.

When probed by council investigators, he claimed he drove his business van to work and would only drive his Range Rover at weekends.

He also claimed the blue badge did not belong to him and his vehicle was on loan to a friend at the time of the offence.

To qualify for a blue badge, which allows priority parking, a person must have a permanent and substantial disability that causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking.

They come with conditions, such as that holders must never allow friends or relatives to use the badge to run an errand on their behalf.

Mr Khan submitted a not guilty plea to Bromley Magistrates Court, however, the Magistrate found him guilty of two offences.

He was charged under section 6 of the Fraud Act 2006 and section 117 (1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and ordered to pay a fine of £2,164 within 28 days.

Blue Badge fraud denies people with disabilities access to parking spaces, which are a lifeline to vital services, including healthcare, in towns and cities.

Cllr Linda Perks, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources said: “We hope this prosecution sends a strong message that misusing a blue badge is a criminal offence.

"The abuse of such permits denies people with legitimate disabilities the parking concessions they are entitled to and swindles much need revenue from the public purse.”

“The council takes blue badge crime very seriously. Thanks to the vigilance of our investigators, we’ve been able to secure a successful conviction for fraud against this individual.

"We want to be clear; the council will continue to prosecute Blue Badge fraud in the borough.”

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