Nine drivers have been found guilty of parking fraud after using blue disabled badges in their cars in order to avoid paying meter charges.

The convictions are the latest in a crackdown on bogus parking fraud claims by Wandsworth Council.

Since 12007 the council has helped get 315 drivers prosecuted for offences ranging from theft to fraud and deception.

Councillor Guy Senior, the council’s transport spokesman, said: “Abuse of the blue badge system is rife I'm afraid. There are thousands of drivers in London using stolen, forged or borrowed permits.”

In the recent batch of prosecutions the defendant's have been ordered to pay fines, the council's legal costs for the court case and in most cases £260 to have their car released after it was towed away.

Anyone with information about blue badge misuse can contact the council's by calling freephone 0800 085 0866 or emailing parking@wandsworth.gov.uk.