A man was caught using a 74-year-old woman’s blue badge to park his car in West London.
The driver was filmed getting out of the gray Toyota and casually walking away after stopping on Windsor Road in Ealing on Saturday.
But the man, who parked the vehicle just after 4pm, used someone else’s blue badge, which is a criminal offense and could result in a £1,000 fine.
Video footage taken by Ealing resident and local campaigner Mark Uddin showed the driver closing the car door in shock when asked about the misuse of the parking badge.
Without saying a word, the man grabbed his black Adidas bag and jacket and walked away, putting on his belongings.
During the video, Mr Uddin, who is known on social media as Walking Marky, said: ‘Nothing to say? It’s not your blue badge. Why are you using it?’
Speaking to the Daily Mail about the incident, the 62-year-old former Green Party candidate for Ealing Council said: ‘Abuse of blue badges is widespread.
“The entire system for stopping abusers and offenders is completely broken. The public should be more concerned about this.”
The man was caught parking the gray Toyota on Windsor Road in Ealing using the disabled parking card of a 74-year-old woman
When asked why he was using the blue badge, the man walked away without saying a word
Ealing local and campaigner Mark Uddin, known on social media as Walking Marky, spotted the man
He added that motorists “routinely exploit the area for parking throughout the day” because the road is close to a shopping center and metro station.
Mr Uddin started catching blue badge abusers and people behind the wheel on their phones when he stopped working.
He claimed he has since reported more than 1,500 people who have committed car-related offenses to Ealing Council.
“I thought about doing something useful with my time and giving back to the community,” he said.
‘I’ll just go about my business and keep my eyes open. I just care about my local community.”
It is illegal to misuse a blue badge and this can lead to the badge being confiscated or a fine of £1,000.
A friend or family member may not use the blue badge for the parking concessions, according to the Gov.UK website.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport said: “The Blue Badge scheme is a vital lifeline for millions of disabled people across the country.
The man grabbed his black Adidas bag and jacket before walking out into the street
He attracted his assets as a resident of Ealing. Mark Uddin asked him why he was using someone else’s badge
‘While we cannot comment on specific cases, misuse of the scheme – including the use of fraudulent badges of any kind – is a criminal offense and undermines support for the people this scheme is designed to help.
‘Local councils are responsible for fair and rigorous enforcement of the scheme in their areas and have strong powers to take action against abuse.’
Ealing councilor Dominic Moffitt said: “The blue badge scheme is an essential service for people with disabilities to access the support and facilities they need.
“Misuse of blue badges is not a victimless crime and will not be tolerated in the Ealing borough.
‘We take all reports of suspected abuse seriously and will investigate where evidence is available.
