MOTORISTS were hit with fines after being caught parking illegally with blue disability badges in Brent.

The sting last Friday, organised by audit and investigation officers from Brent Council and Brent Police, caught 18 drivers illegally using disabled badges to park in side roads near Wembley High Road.

Drivers caught using a badge that did not belong to them had their permit confiscated and were issued with a £60 parking ticket.

Of the 18 badges seized, three are suspected of being lost, stolen or counterfeit.

Simon Lane, the council’s head of audit and investigation, said: "Intelligence showed that these roads were rammed with cars displaying blue badges - a higher number than we would expect.

"We also knew that genuine badge holders were finding it difficult to find parking so we organised the operation to crack down on misuse.

"The badge holder must be present in the car or being collected. If they are not in the car then you are not entitled to use the disabled badge. Most people are aware of the rules but continue to abuse the system."

Confiscated badges will be returned to their registered owner with a formal warning but could be taken away permanently if the permit is misused in the future.