Parking cheats caught using blue badges which were not theirs now have criminal records.

Barnet Council has fined and prosecuted over 30 drivers caught abusing the system in the last three months.

Council officers also issued cautions to a further 33 motorists during the same period.

Among those prosecuted was 65-year-old Joseph Dan, of Fernhurst Gardens, Edgware.

He was caught misusing a family member’s badge to park – having already received a warning for the same crime in another borough.

He told officers he did not realise what he was doing but pleaded guilty to charges at Willesden Magistrates’ Court in June.

He was fined £280, ordered to pay costs of £400 and a victim surcharge of £30.

Council Leader, Cllr Richard Cornelius, said: “Blue badges are intended for residents who are in genuine need, not for those looking for a way to park wherever they want, free of charge.

“The number of prosecutions brought by our CAFT officers shows just how much hard work goes into making sure drivers abusing the system are caught and dealt with.”

In April, Kalaiselvi Sripalan, 53, of Cranfield Drive, Colindale, used a dead relative’s badge and received a £400 fine and an order to pay £600 in costs after pleading guilty at Willesden Magistrates’ Court.

To report blue badge misuse, call CAFT on 020 8359 2007 or visit www.barnet.gov.uk.