A RYDE woman was caught using her elderly mother’s badge in a Southampton car park – despite having a badge of her own.

Suzanne Wilson used her 89-year-old mother’s disabled badge, allowing her to park for free in Gloucester Square Car Park in Southampton.

But during a hearing at Southampton Magistrates’ Court, it was revealed the 57-year-old had her own badge.

Parking chiefs at Southampton City Council suggested to the court that Wilson was using her own badge on the Isle of Wight.

However, Wilson told parking bosses she didn't know she was not allowed to use her mother’s badge – despite having a rulebook handed out with her own blue badge.

On Friday, Wilson, who pleaded guilty to five counts of unlawful use of a disabled person’s badge, was handed a court bill totalling nearly £2,000.

The court heard how Wilson’s silver Ford Mondeo came to the attention of wardens in April 2019.

When wardens inspected the serial number they found it was registered to Wilson’s mother, who was living at a nursing home at the time.

They also noted football boots and sports clothing in the front passenger footwell of the car.

Wardens saw the car parked in Gloucester Square car park displaying the same blue badge on five occasions from April to June.

Parking investigators began a probe and later invited Wilson to an interview under caution – which she declined.

However, in a written response, Wilson confirmed she was the driver, her badge was on the Isle of Wight, and her mother was in the nursing home on each occasion.

Wilson also said she thought she could use her mother’s badge 'as it was registered to her car.'

However, speaking during the hearing, a city council prosecutor said: “The Citizen’s Advice website makes it clear a blue badge is registered to a person and not a vehicle.

“As the defendant is a blue badge holder in her own right, she should be more aware of the rules.

“It is perplexing that the defendant would not take her own blue badge with her to use in the car in Southampton.

“She has not provided an explanation for that, but a possibility is she was using her own blue badge to park in a restricted area on the Isle of Wight.”

Wilson, of Binstead Lodge Road, who was not present at the hearing, was fined £243 for each blue badge misuse.

She was also ordered to pay costs of £490, the £50 cost of the parking tickets she avoided paying and a victim surcharge of £30.

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