Ealing Council has committed to tackling the improper use of blue badges across the borough and has issued a fresh warning to offenders that they face fines and prosecution if caught.
In the last year, the council has successfully prosecuted 70 cases of blue badge misuse in court and checked more than 2,180 blue badges, seizing those which had been cancelled, stolen and faked.
Blue badges are issued to people with serious mobility problems and disabilities and allow people who need extra help to park closer to their home or destination.
They can only be used by the named badge holder, or by a person who has dropped off or is collecting the badge holders from a place where the vehicle is parked. People using them incorrectly can be prosecuted.
Recently, a driver who falsely displayed a blue badge in Ealing faced one of the most expensive shopping trips of his life after being caught out by the council.
The man was stopped by council officers as he returned to his vehicle which was displaying an organisational blue badge in the window in Mattock Lane.
Under caution the driver said that the blue badge was issued to a care home, initially claiming that they had dropped one of the residents there when they had parked the car.
However, when told they were being watched when parking, the driver admitted that they were alone. He then said he was parking with the blue badge to use the bank and go shopping.
The driver received a fine of £1,000 along with costs of £438 and a victim surcharge of £30 at Ealing Magistrates' Court, a spokesman for the council said.
