logo
Amnesty for fake parking permits and blue badges in Brighton

Amnesty for fake parking permits and blue badges in Brighton

BBC News01-07-2025
A council is launching an amnesty for people to hand in concessionary blue badges, parking permits and bus passes that are being used fraudulently.Brighton & Hove City Council said it wanted to give residents the opportunity to hand in passes, badges or permits they shouldn't be using, "no questions asked".A Worthing resident with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), who wished to remain anonymous, said the action could not come soon enough, adding: "I can't tell you how often people that don't have blue badges park in disabled spaces."Anyone with a pass, badge or permit that is out of date or that is being used incorrectly can take it to Hove Town Hall letterbox and Brighton Town Hall letterbox.
The resident with MS told BBC South East that he often had to confront people when trying to park his mobility car."If they don't have a good reason for parking there, then I tear a strip off them and give them a piece of my mind," he said.MS is a condition that affects the central nervous system, and his symptoms include neuro muscular fatigue, he said.
'Simply destroy it'
Concessionary bus passes for older and disabled people are a lifeline for thousands of people in Brighton and Hove, the council said.Councillor Trevor Muten urged people to take advantage of the amnesty, which will run throughout July and August."This type of fraud is not a victimless crime. It has a real impact on people who need them the most to get around Brighton and Hove," he said."I'd urge anyone with a pass, badge or permit they shouldn't have to hand it in or simply destroy it themselves."In 2023-24, enforcement and investigation officers carried out monthly joint action days with Sussex Police as part of Operation Bluebird.During that time, 279 blue badges were retained by officers due to misuse, 197 community resolution orders were completed and 56 prosecutions were issued for fraudulent use of a blue badge, the council said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Now that even South Park is mocking Trump over Epstein, he knows he's facing a scandal he can't control: ANDREW NEIL
Now that even South Park is mocking Trump over Epstein, he knows he's facing a scandal he can't control: ANDREW NEIL

Daily Mail​

time6 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Now that even South Park is mocking Trump over Epstein, he knows he's facing a scandal he can't control: ANDREW NEIL

Donald Trump touched down in Scotland last night, the controversy swirling around the so-called ' Jeffrey Epstein files' in such hot pursuit that it threatens to disturb what is essentially a five-day golfing holiday and plunge him into something of a pickle. The President's MAGA base of true believers refuses to accept the official reasons why the files on the late notorious paedophile can't be made public.

SARAH VINE: The reason so many of us feel at the end of our tether is that the political class have never let us have a truly honest debate about mass immigration
SARAH VINE: The reason so many of us feel at the end of our tether is that the political class have never let us have a truly honest debate about mass immigration

Daily Mail​

time6 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

SARAH VINE: The reason so many of us feel at the end of our tether is that the political class have never let us have a truly honest debate about mass immigration

When 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, armed with a 20cm long chef's knife, walked into a Taylor Swift-themed dance class and began stabbing teachers and little girls, he not only took the lives of three innocents – six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar. He also triggered a groundswell of resentment, confusion and anger that, one year on, has not abated. The resulting riots, fuelled by misinformation and, in particular, the erroneous assumption that Rudakubana was an asylum seeker (he was not, although his parents had come to Britain from Rwanda), exposed an ugly streak of anti-immigrant feeling.

Gregg Wallace: Ex-MasterChef host 'sorry' but says he's 'not a groper'
Gregg Wallace: Ex-MasterChef host 'sorry' but says he's 'not a groper'

BBC News

time6 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Gregg Wallace: Ex-MasterChef host 'sorry' but says he's 'not a groper'

Former MasterChef host Gregg Wallace has said he is "so sorry" to anyone he hurt, but insisted that he is "not a groper, a sex pest or a flasher".In a new interview with The Sun, the TV presenter also defended his sacked co-host John Torode, saying he is "not a racist".Wallace was sacked earlier this month after a report upheld 45 allegations about his behaviour on the programme, including one of unwelcome physical contact and three of being in a state of was also axed after a claim against him using "an extremely offensive racist term" was upheld. He has said he has "no recollection" of the incident. The inquiry, conducted by an independent law firm, was ordered by MasterChef's production company Banijay in the wake of a BBC News investigation last year, which first revealed claims of misconduct against then, more than 50 people have come forward to BBC News with claims against include allegations he groped one MasterChef worker at a wrap party and pulled his trousers down in front of another. Gregg Wallace sacked as 50 more people make claims Wallace faces backlash over autism defence MasterChef crisis: Wallace and Torode were 'never friends' Wallace 'sorry' after 45 claims against him upheld The majority of substantiated claims against Wallace related to inappropriate sexual language and humour, but also culturally insensitive or racist his first interview since being sacked, the presenter acknowledged that he had said things that "offended people, that weren't socially acceptable and perhaps they felt too intimidated or nervous to say anything at the time."I understand that now - and to anyone I have hurt, I am so sorry."He indicated his background was to blame for those comments, as a former greengrocer from Peckham working in an environment that was "jovial and crude".But he added: "I'm not a groper. People think I've been taking my trousers down and exposing myself - I am not a flasher."People think I'm a sex pest. I am not."Wallace said that one of the upheld claims against him related to a widely reported incident in which he had allegedly walked around MasterChef's set naked with a sock on his that incident, he said that there were no contestants on set, and just four of his friends from the show outside his dressing room door."I was getting changed to go to a black tie event, a charity event. I put my bow tie on and my shirt. It's only them outside the door. I put the sock on, opened the door, went, 'Wahey!' and shut the door again."The people interviewed were either amused or bemused. Nobody was distressed," he claimed. Autism defence Ahead of the report's publication earlier this month, Wallace posted a now-deleted statement on Instagram in which he appeared to link the misconduct allegations he was facing to his recent autism led to a backlash from charities and groups working with disabled people. One charity told BBC News that autism is "not a free pass for bad behaviour", while other groups warned that such remarks risked stigmatising the autistic his interview on Friday night, Wallace spoke again about his diagnosis, saying: "I know I struggle to read people. I know people find me weird. Autism is a disability, a registered disability."He also repeated a claim that he "never [wears] pants", saying: "It's not sexualised. It's hypersensitivity - that happens with autism." Last week, Wallace's co-host Torode was sacked after an allegation of using a severely offensive racist term was News has since revealed that the alleged incident took place on the set of MasterChef in has said any racist language is "wholly unacceptable".Addressing the claim against his co-host, Wallace said: "I've known John for 30 years and he is not a racist."And as evidence of that, I'll show you the incredible diversity of the people that he has championed, MasterChef winners, over the years. There is no way that man is a racist. No way. And my sympathies go out to John because I don't want anybody to go through what I've been through."But he added that he had unfollowed Torode and his wife Lisa Faulkner on social media, saying: "We never really did get on that well."We're two very, very different characters."Earlier this week, the BBC announced that a new series of MasterChef, which was recorded before Wallace and Torode were sacked, will still be broadcast as planned, on BBC One and of the women who came forward with claims against Wallace have said they did not think the new series should be former MasterChef worker, who claims he groped her, told BBC News the decision to go ahead showed "a blatant disregard for the people who have come forward".The BBC said it had taken the decision "after careful consideration and consultation with the contestants".It added it has not yet taken a decision on what to do with the completed celebrity series and Christmas special.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store