A WOMAN who illegally used her partner’s blue parking badge to use a disabled parking bay because she was in a rush and could find no where else to park was landed with a £115 court bill today, Tuesday.

Memzel Bush, of Peterborough Road, Farcet, attended Peterborough Magistrates’ Court when she admitted the offence.

The court heard how a Peterborough City Council civil enforcement officer issued a penalty charge to the car displaying a blue badge but not a clock in November last year.

After the ticket was issued, Bush returned to the car. The officer inspected the badge and established that it did not belong to Mrs Bush, but in fact belonged to her partner who was not with her.

Bush admitted that she used the blue badge to park for free as she was in a rush and could not find a space to park and pay.

She was given a one year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £100 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Councillor David Seaton, Cabinet Member for Resources for Peterborough City Council, said: “Blue Badges are issued to assist the holder, or the driver of the vehicle the holder is travelling in, to park closer to amenities.

“People who park in spaces designated for people with disabilities are not entitled to do so and are committing an offence. More importantly, they are preventing a genuine person with disabilities from using that space.

“I strongly encourage everyone who has access to a blue badge to bear this in mind, and only to use it when they are legally entitled to do so.”