A woman who used her late husband's Blue Badge to park in a disabled space has been given a community service order.

Patricia Edmed was caught out when she used her husband's permit to park in a disabled space in Ashford – 18 months after he died.

Mrs Edmed, of Longacre Drive, was confronted by a parking warden outside the Civic Centre in September 2019.

The 69-year-old had parked in a disabled parking bay and was displaying a blue badge in her car's windshield.

When the warden asked to see the badge, Mrs Edmed told them that her husband was in an appointment in the council building, and she was waiting for him to come out.

However, the suspicious officer checked the blue badge and discovered that it had been cancelled.

When asked, Mrs Edmed said that the badge should not have been cancelled and that she would have "used it and used it".

The parking warden kept the badge, and Ashford Borough Council (ABC) sent it to the Kent County Council's Counter Fraud Team.

Enquiries showed that Mr Edmed had in fact died in May 2018, more than a year and a half prior, and Mrs Edmed had registered the death.

Appearing at Folkestone Magistrates' court on Monday, the widow pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and possession of articles in the use of fraud.

She was sentenced to 60 hours community service and was required to pay investigation and prosecution costs of £400.

Cllr Clair Bell, KCC’s cabinet member for adult social care and health, said: “Our partnership working with district councils is highly effective in stopping Blue Badge abuse.

"Blue Badges are issued to those who need them."

“Not only does this abuse cause a financial loss to district councils and therefore the taxpayer, but there is also significant reputational damage to the Blue Badge scheme – a scheme in place to help and support disabled people.”

Cllr Peter Feacey, ABC’s portfolio holder for community safety and wellbeing, said: “When out on patrol, our CEOs proactively inspect any badge displayed in vehicles to ensure any misuse can be reported, and on this occasion we were able to successfully retain the badge for KCC to take further action.

"Blue Badges are issued to those who need them and we will continue to work to ensure that they are not abused.”

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