Blue Badge crackdown sparks 120 probes including man caught using dead mother’s permit

Salford City Council has opened more than 120 investigations since a Blue Badge crackdown – and prosecuted a man for using his late mother’s disabled parking permit.

They say there are currently 32 open investigations that the Corporate Fraud department is working its way through.

A decision to crackdown on people who abuse Blue Badgers so legal users can park easily was made in November 2024.

This was followed by a two-week amnesty period, which removed 62 bogus badges from circulation as residents were given a chance to hand over permits they were not entitled to at allocated drop-off centres.

But just two days after the amnesty ended and the drive to stop the illegal use of Blue Badges across Salford began, the council caught Omer Ali Kahn, 32, with a permit belonging to his deceased mother displayed in his vehicle parked on North George Street.

Kahn was convicted of fraud by false representation and was fined £116 and made to pay costs of £350 with a victim surcharge of £46 at Manchester Magistrates Court.

Trained officers began patrolling the streets and carparks to identify and seize blue badges that were the subject of abuse or misuse.

29 cases are under investigation and three have reached the prosecution stage. A large proportion of the cases involve counterfeit and cloned badges.

Councillor Barbara Bentham, Lead Member for Neighbourhoods, Environment and Community Safety at Salford City Council, said: “A year ago, we told our legitimate Blue Badges users that we would take action against those misusing the system and we are delivering on that commitment.

“This is all about making Salford a better and fairer place for all.

“When yellow bays are taken up by fraudulent users, it impacts those who genuinely need accessible parking. This is a national problem, but we are determined to do all we can to eradicate it in this city.

“A huge thank you goes to the team on the streets who treat this issue sensitively and are doing a fantastic job. Blue Badge users have told us they are grateful for what we are doing to make it easier for them to park and go about their everyday business.”