A woman from Abbots Langley caught using her late husband's blue badge to park illegally has been prosecuted.

Siobhan Murtagh, 53, of Queens Drive was one of two motorists stopped in the Watford High Street area as part of Herts Police and Watford Borough Council's ongoing initiative Operation Clamp.

The initiative is to check the use of disabled blue badges in the Watford area and to identify any abuses.

Murtagh appeared before Watford Magistrates Court on Monday, March 30 after she was stopped and questioned by Herts Police and fraud investigators on Saturday, December 6.

She had been using her husband's disabled blue badge, two months after his death, to park illegally in George Street, Watford.

She initially stated she was waiting for her husband after returning to her vehicle, but after further questioning she admitted the badge holder was not with her.

She was cautioned and the badge was taken away from her.

Murtagh pleaded guilty to misusing a disabled badge and was given a £165 fine and ordered to pay £100 prosecution costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Tabasum Ijaz, 29, of Estridge Close in Hounslow was stopped in Lower High Street in Watford on Saturday, October 25.

She had been using the disabled badge of a child she had been caring for to go shopping, without the child being with her.

After Ijaz was cautioned, and the disabled badge was seized from her, she also appeared before Watford Magistrates Court on Monday.

She pleaded guilty to misusing a disabled badge and was given a £65 fine and ordered to pay £75 prosecution costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Garry Turner, fraud manager for Watford Borough Council, said: "The police and council regularly work together.

"These successful prosecutions send another clear message that blue badge misuse won't be tolerated."