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A driver who used her dead mum’s disabled badge to park illegally has been ordered to pay more than £1,000. Krassimira Choutova, 41, used the cancelled badge to park her white Mercedes-Benz on a yellow line and “shamefully abused the scheme”.

She was spotted by a traffic warden parking in a narrow residential street in Bexleyheath, south east London earlier this year.

Choutova, of Dagenham, east London, was ordered to pay a total of £1,170 in fines and additional costs when she appeared at Bexley Magistrates Court.

She was fined £700 and ordered to pay court costs of £400 and a victim surcharge of £70 after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing, WalesOnline reported.

Blue Badge misuse is a criminal offence that can lead to prosecution. This in turn can lead to a fine of up to £1,000.

Teresa O’Neill OBE, leader of Bexley London Borough Council, said: “There can be no excuse for this type of shameful abuse of a scheme designed to assist those with genuine disabilities.

“I am pleased that justice has been rightfully served on this occasion.”

She added: “Our officers are routinely checking the validity of badges seen on display to protect the integrity of the Blue Badge scheme in Bexley and ensure there are adequate spaces for disabled individuals to park.

“Where we suspect abuse, we will fully investigate and proceed to prosecution without exception if we are satisfied that misuse has occurred.

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“I urge anyone who is in possession of a badge that has been cancelled or is no longer needed to return it without delay to the issuing authority as shown on the badge.”

Ms O’Neill added that a blue badge should be returned to the issuing authority shown on the front of the badge after it has expired, the holder’s medical condition has improved or they are no longer eligible.

The news comes after a driver was left livid after receiving a £100 fine for parking in a disabled bay without showing his badge.

The motorist, however, claimed that his disabled card was visible in the parking attendant’s picture.

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Steven Leeder, 62, told CoventryLive: “I opened it up and thought ‘what the hell is this?’

“Then, I read it and it said ‘Parking in a disabled bay without displaying a badge’ and I thought ‘well hang on they have just sent me a picture with a badge in the window’.

“It is just ridiculous.”

Mr Leeder added: “I am not going to pay it so they can do what they want.

“If they want to go to court I would happily go to court.

“Actually, that is what I want – to make them look like total idiots.”

He continued: “It is just totally done my head in. I cannot understand why. It is just not right.

“It makes you think how many people have got that and just panicked and paid it.”

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