Two drivers who were caught fraudulently using disabled badges in Edinburgh have been successfully prosecuted. These were the first convictions of cases which had been brought by the City of Edinburgh Council.

Craig Robertson pled guilty to a charge of fraud on June 7th at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, which was brought after he was found to be using a tampered Blue Badge. He was fined £100 and was ordered to pay £240 compensation to the City of Edinburgh Council after admitting the offences, which took place between the 19th of December 2005 and the 13th of January 2006. Azim Ahktar also pled guilty at a later date at the Sheriff Court to one charge of fraud in connection with the use of a Blue Badge, and was fined £160.

Councillor Phil Wheeler, Executive Member for Transport, said: “I hope that these convictions will send out the message that drivers who misuse Blue Badges could end up with a criminal conviction. “These men have admitted carrying out fraud, which is a serious offence, and will now have a criminal record because they chose to abuse this vital system.”

A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police said: “Motorists should be aware by now that the misuse of Blue Badges is a criminal offence, and we will continue to work with our colleagues at the City of Edinburgh Council to tackle those who are breaking the law.

“These offences are fraud and as has been shown by the results from these two court cases, motorists can end up with a criminal record.”