A WIDOW who used her husband’s disabled parking badge 20 months after he died now has a criminal record for fraud.

Josephine Sowerby, 64, displayed the blue badge when she parked in a disabled space in Piccadilly car park, York, on August 3, Victoria Waudby, prosecuting, told the city’s magistrates.

Parking enforcement officers realised the badge had been cancelled after her husband’s death in January 2016 and gave her a parking ticket.

She appealed the fine by claiming through an email that she was entitled to use the badge.

Sowerby, of Linden Way, Thorpe Willoughby, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and misuse of a blue badge.

She was ordered to pay a total of £479.40 including a £100 fine, £349.40 prosecution costs and a £30 statutory surcharge.

The car park has a £2.50 hourly rate and 12 disabled bays.

Senior magistrate Scott Hanley, sitting with two colleagues, told her: “Disabled badges are there for a purpose.

“If you are illegally parked, then someone who has mobility issues is not able to do so.”

Sowerby, who represented herself, said: “I know it was wrong. Looking back, I was stupid and shouldn't have done it. I am very sorry.”

She said she had wanted to buy a child a toy.

The badge had been in the glove compartment because she “didn’t feel like throwing it away".

City of York Council ran a two-week amnesty in July when people with expired badges could hand them in without question or being taken to court.

After the amnesty ended, parking enforcement officers ran patrols concentrating on illegal use of blue badges in August and November.

Sowerby is the first driver to be prosecuted under the crackdown.

Council leader Cllr David Carr urged members of the public to use the fraud hotline on 0800 9179247 to report misuse of blue badges.

“Misuse impacts on the limited capacity of parking available for legitimate disabled users who have little or no choice about how they get about,” he said.

“The council will not hesitate to take action against those found to be abusing a scheme designed to support those who have mobility needs.”

Blue badges have to be handed back to the council if they have expired, the badge holder dies or ceases to be eligible for one, or if it is so damaged or faded the details are not clear.

Badges issued as replacements for lost of stolen badges must also be handed back if the original one is recovered.

Enforcement officers on patrol check the badge number against council records and that the badge holder is present.