A shopper has been ordered to pay £300 for using a Blue Badge belonging to someone who had died.

Liliana Leitao of Colnhurst Road, Watford, was caught misusing the badge when Watford Borough Council fraud investigators joined police officers on patrol in June 2019.

They noticed a car parked on a single yellow line in George Street with a Blue Badge displayed on the dashboard. When officers examined the badge it was discovered it did not belong to her.

Leitao was interviewed under caution in July and admitted to misusing the badge. She was summoned to St Albans Magistrates Court, where she pleaded guilty to an offence under the Road Traffic Act.

Leitao was fined £120 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £150 with a £30 victim surcharge.

Watford Borough Council fraud manager Garry Turner said: “We will not tolerate the abuse of the Blue Badge scheme in Watford, which is in place to help people who need it. We will continue to work tirelessly with our partners to bring people who misuse the scheme to justice."

The Blue Badge scheme exists to allow disabled people to park closer to their destination and permits them to park on single and double yellow lines, in designated disabled bays and in certain pay and display bays without charge.

If you suspect that a motorist is regularly misusing a Blue Badge, report this to the fraud team via the online form at www.watford.gov.uk/reportfraud or call the dedicated fraud hotline on 0800 458 9200.