Man fined nearly £300 for blue badge fraud

Jan Benak, (55), of Clifton Avenue, Rotherham, admitted the offence when he appeared at Sheffield Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

Benak used the disabled parking badge to park in a disabled parking bay on College Street in November, 2018, when his wife was not present.

He was fined £100, with £155 costs plus a £30 victim surcharge.

Speaking after the hearing, Cllr Denise Lelliott, Rotherham Council’s cabinet member for jobs and the local economy said: “Using disabled parking spaces in such a manner deprives genuine people of the opportunity to do so. People also need to consider whether it is worth risking a criminal record rather than paying for parking.

"This council will continue to take such cases very seriously and take legal action whenever it is in the public interest to do so.”