Luton woman fined for Blue Badge abuse
Thursday, 25 June 2026
A woman from Luton has been ordered to pay fines and charges of £1,524 after being found guilty in her absence of illegal use of a Blue Badge.
Audrey Roberts of Cutenhoe Road, Luton was found to be using a Blue Badge when the holder was not present. Roberts had been parked in a disabled bay at Grove View Car Park in Dunstable, where it was established that the Blue Badge holder had not been dropped off or picked up at the location.
Roberts was caught during a targeted enforcement day to tackle Blue Badge fraud on 3 December 2025, where checks were being carried out by Central Bedfordshire Council Officers to assess whether disabled parking permits were being used correctly across Central Bedfordshire.
CCTV footage showed that Roberts returned to the vehicle alone and drove away. The footage also revealed that the car had been parked for nearly four hours, despite Roberts later claiming she had only been in the car park for around an hour.
When interviewed, Roberts claimed that she had driven from the disabled bay to a pick-up point outside Grove View Integrated Health and Care Hub to collect her husband, who allegedly had an appointment. She also stated that she had mistakenly used her mother’s Blue Badge instead of her husband’s. However, when asked to provide evidence of the appointment, none was supplied.
At a court case on 23 June 2026, Roberts was sentenced to a fine of £440 ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £174 and pay a contribution towards costs of £910.
Councillor John Baker, Executive Member for Finance at Central Bedfordshire Council, said:
The government is quite clear on who is eligible for a blue badge, and our experienced team of officers carry out stringent checks to ensure badges are issued appropriately. Misusing a Blue Badge is both illegal and unfair to those who rely on these spaces. This case sends a strong message that we take misuse seriously and will not hesitate to take action against those breaking the rules.
If you suspect someone of illegally using a Blue Badge, you can report it to the Council by calling 0300 300 4154 or emailing benefit.investigations@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.