A motorist who fraudulently used his disabled six-year-old nephew’s Blue Badge to park in Stevenage has been slapped with a bill for more than £1,400.

Ishraz Iqbal, of Montrose Avenue in Luton, used the badge belonging to his nephew – who was not with him – to park at The Quadrant in Stevenage town centre on June 14 last year.

The 36-year-old’s misuse of the badge was spotted by Herts County Council anti-fraud officers and Stevenage Borough Council’s parking enforcement team, and he was subsequently prosecuted by the Hertfordshire Shared Anti-Fraud Service.

On Friday, at Stevenage Magistrates’ Court, Iqbal pleaded guilty to a charge under the Road Traffic Act. He was fined £280 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £1,155.57, plus a £30 surcharge – making a total bill of £1,465.57.

Herts County Council leader David Williams said afterwards: “We are wholeheartedly committed to fighting fraud at Hertfordshire County Council and I would like to thank the hard-working officers who dealt with this case.

“While this type of fraud is often thought of as victimless, abuse of this scheme is extremely unfair on genuine badge holders.

“The Blue Badge is for the sole use of the person named on it, and must only be displayed if the badge holder is travelling in the vehicle as a driver or passenger or if someone is collecting them or dropping them off.

“We will continue to work with the Hertfordshire Shared Anti-Fraud Service on behalf of all genuine blue badge holders.”

You can report suspected fraud in confidence at hertfordshire.gov.uk/spotfraud, or to fraud.team@hertscc.gcsx.gov.uk or 0300 123 4033.