NAMED AND SHAMED: 13 more people handed court fines for illegal use of disabled blue badges in Sheffield

In the latest cases brought before Sheffield Magistrates’ Court during November, 13 defendants were ordered to pay a total of £5,182 for the wrongful use of a blue badge.

Prosecuted on November 1, five people were fined £200 each.

They included: Robert Morley, aged 57, of Errington Avenue, Arbourthorne; Evette Calvin, 48, of Jamaica Street, Pitsmoor; Tracy Dickinson, 52, of Briary Close, Brinsworth, Rotherham;Sarah Baker, 62, of Brocco Bank, Hunters Bar and Sheffield man Roger Deakin, 62, whose address was withheld for 'legal reasons'.

On November 21, eight people received fines for illegally using of blue badges.

They included: Mark Shepherd, 55, of Cherry Bank Road, Woodseats, fined £1136; Patrick Brown, 53, of Beaumont Crescent, Manor, fined £1136; Melvin Copley, 67,of Moorthorpe Green, Owlthorpe, fined £350; Jozef Gabco (no date of birth given), of Willougby Street, Page Hall, fined £350; Nazakat Ali Khan, 37, of College Court, Pitsmoor, fined £710; Stephen Rooney, 44, of Buchanan Road, Parson Cross, fined £350; Adam Stride, 31, of Whinacre Close, Batemoor, fined £430 and Shazia Akhtar, 43, of Straun Road, Carterknowle, fined £350.

The current number of convictions now stands at 40 with fines totalling more than £15,000.

The Council launched a clampdown on brazen blue badge bandits earlier this year warning that improper use can lead to a criminal conviction and a fine of up to £1,000 plus any costs awarded by the court.Coun Jack Scott, cabinet member for transport and infrastructure at Sheffield Council, said: “With Christmas approaching, some motorists with access to someone else’s blue badge might feel that they can use disabled parking bays to park for free close to shops and attractions.“There’s simply no excuse for doing this. We’ve introduced free parking across the city on Sundays so using someone’s blue badge illegally is quite simply depriving a person with mobility issues the chance to park with ease and comfort.“The improper use of blue badges has a major impact on people who actually have disabilities, causing parking problems and discrediting the whole scheme. If you let someone else use your blue badge, they will be prosecuted and fined and the vehicle will get a penalty charge notice too.“Nobody else can use the blue badge unless they are travelling with the owner. We won’t hesitate to confiscate blue badge passes where they are misused.”