Prosecutions for blue badge fraud have doubled in three years, with professional people such as lawyers and architects among offenders.
Unscrupulous fraudsters have been caught using a dead relative's pass or leaving a disabled parent stuck at home in order to park for free to go shopping or travel to work, said the Local Government Association (LGA).
There were 686 successful council prosecutions last year – up from 330 in 2010 – as councils cracked down on offenders.
More than two million disabled people use blue badges for free parking in pay-and-display bays and parking for up to three hours on yellow lines through the nationwide scheme. In London, badge-holders are exempt from the congestion charge.
Councils are also using new powers to seize and confiscate badges suspected of being used illegally and some have set up specific enforcement teams to tackle blue badge fraud.
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