The council has teamed up with Blue Badge Fraud Investigations to catch people using disabled parking bays illegally

Only Blue Badge holders are permitted to park in disabled bays

Enfield Council has announced a crackdown on people who park illegally in disabled parking bays.

A new partnership has been launched between the council and Blue Badge Fraud Investigations (BBFI), in collaboration with enforcement contractor NSL Services, to crack down on the misuse and fraudulent use of blue badges in the borough.

The six-month trial aims to protect vital parking spaces available for Blue Badge holders and ensure the integrity of the scheme. Disabled people can apply for the badge which allows them to park closer to their destination.

The council says that in just the first few days of joint operations, BBFI inspectors identified multiple cases of Blue Badge abuse, including the use of a stolen Blue Badge, a reported lost badge in use, a deceased badge holder’s badge in use and two other cases where badges were not being used by the badge holder or where the owner was not present.

Rick Jewell, the council’s cabinet member for transport, said: “Misusing or abusing Blue Badges is not a victimless crime. It directly harms Blue Badge holders who rely on accessible parking to go about their daily lives. We are taking this issue seriously and have launched this partnership with BBFI to send a clear message: if you misuse a badge in Enfield, you will be caught and face consequences.

“This partnership reflects our commitment to fairness, accessibility and protecting the rights of those who genuinely need support.”

Any people responsible for misusing a Blue Badge can be prosecuted and fined up to £1,000 and/or have their badge taken away.

Paul Slowey, Founder and CEO of BBFI, said: “Blue Badge misuse is a callous crime that impacts disabled people every day who, as a result of it, are not able to access the parking that they need. The early results from our joint operations speak for themselves.

“In just the first few days, we’ve identified multiple cases of serious blue badge abuse. We look forward to working with Enfield Council and NSL, targeting hotspot areas and building on these excellent early results. Together, we’re sending a clear message that Blue Badge fraud simply will not be tolerated. The scheme exists to serve those who genuinely need it – the disabled community in Enfield who we are proud to protect and support through this work.”

A spokesperson from NSL added: “This partnership aims to ensure that the blue badge scheme serves its intended purpose providing essential parking access to individuals who genuinely need it. By combining our efforts, we strive to uphold the integrity of the blue badge system, ensuring that those who genuinely need it can benefit without hindrance. Together, we are committed to fostering a fair and accessible environment for all residents of Enfield.”

Residents are encouraged to report suspected Blue Badge fraud by emailing the team directly:
Email [email protected]

Find out more about disabled parking:
Visit enfield.gov.uk/disabledparking
Visit bbfi.org.uk

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