A barber who illegally used a pensioner’s blue badge to park in a disabled bay rather than pay for a ticket was taken to court.
Sean Jones left his purple Volkswagen in a disabled space in Market Street in Llanelli – but was reported to an enforcement officer by a member of the public.
He was tracked down to a barber shop in Stepney Street, with the help of a PCSO based in the town centre, and returned to his vehicle.
A civil enforcement officer met Jones, of Ar y Bryn, Burry Port, at his car and claimed the badge belonged to his girlfriend who had left it there. When officers suggested he call her so they could speak with her he refused.
The badge, which actually belonged to an elderly man, was then confiscated before Jones was asked to move his vehicle from the disabled parking bay.
In a prosecution brought by Carmarthenshire council Jones pleaded guilty to using a blue badge that did not belong to him. He was fined £250 and ordered to pay £68 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.
Blue badges are prescribed under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 to provide parking concessions for people who have a permanent or substantial disability.
It is an offence to misuse a blue badge, carrying a maximum fine of £1,000 plus any additional penalties for related parking offences.
Councillor Philip Hughes, executive board member for enforcement at the council, said: “Blue badges are issued to support genuinely disabled people – not as a parking free for all. This offence has proved far more costly for this man than a pay and display parking ticket and I hope that this is a lesson learned.”
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