A crackdown on blue badge fraud should leave more spaces available for genuinely disabled people.

Since working with disabled residents in 2022 to establish the Blue Badge Enforcement Policy, Haringey Council has carried out 58,833 inspections in the borough.

As a result, more than 2,200 offenders have received Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) and 483 Blue Badges have been seized.

Graham Day, who lives in the borough and chairs the Physical Disabilities Reference Group, said: "As a Blue Badge holder, it's very frustrating when you read about Blue Badges being misused.

"This heavily impacts the lives of disabled residents who are often prevented from using disabled parking bays which we are rightly entitled to use."

Mr Day added: "Together with other members of Haringey's Physical Disabilities Reference Group, I have worked closely with the council to form a policy around enforcement and reduce Blue Badge Fraud.

"Knowing the council has conducted nearly 60,000 checks on Blue Badges shows they have taken our feedback seriously and are committed to detecting and preventing Blue Badge misuse."

Councils around the UK, including Haringey, are coming together to raise awareness and educate the public on Blue Badge proper usage as part of the National Blue Badge Day of Action.

Collaborating with residents, Haringey Council aims to secure disabled motorists' rights, ensuring their voices are heard and accessible parking bays are properly used.

Haringey Council has said they have "intensified" efforts to crack down on Blue Badge misuse.

Cllr Seema Chandwani, cabinet member for tackling inequality and resident services, said: "Collaborating with our residents is key and, without them, this wouldn’t have been possible.

"By actively listening to our residents, we've reshaped our policies and intensified our efforts to crack down on Blue Badge misuse.

"We believe in empowering those in our borough to contribute to the improvements they want to see."

Councillor Chandwani added: "This milestone is a testament to our ongoing commitment, but our dedication doesn't end here.

"While it's crucial to acknowledge this progress ahead of National Blue Badge Day of Action, we must ensure that supporting our disabled residents is a daily priority."