A MAJOR crackdown on disabled badge cheats has led to seven people being hauled before the courts.

Manchester council launched the operation to catch motorists misusing Blue Badges to park in the city centre.

They accused 17 drivers of the cheating the system and yesterday six of those pleaded guilty at Manchester magistrates' court.

The court heard how almost all had used a badge which had been licensed to a family member.

Hotel worker Kathryn Davies broke down in tears as she admitted using her mother's disabled parking badge to get to a meeting on time.

Davies, 25, who works at Manchester's Hilton Hotel, of Castle Hill Drive, Blackley, was caught using the Blue Badge in a pay and display parking bay on Deansgate.

Prosecutor Malcolm Hope told magistrates: "The Blue Badge system was introduced to enable those with disabilities to enjoy greater freedom than they would otherwise. When the scheme is misused, of course, it devalues the principle it exists for."

Her Kia car was impounded and when she picked it up she gave officials her maiden name instead of her married name and claimed the misuse of the badge was a 'complete mistake'.

Sorry

Davies told magistrates: "I'm deeply sorry for what I did. I completely understand the seriousness of the offence because my mother is severely disabled.

"It was completely wrong. I would never do it to gain benefit. It was a very, very foolish thing. I'm deeply, deeply sorry."

She was handed a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £286 prosecution costs.

Student Lisa Dempster, 19, of Bill Williams Close, Openshaw, pleaded guilty to misusing her grandmother's Blue Badge to park in a pay and display bay on High Street.

Her grandmother was nowhere to be seen - badge holders must be present - and she told a parking attendant: "I'm just shopping for her because she's at home."

She said she had not realised she was committing an offence and was fearful for her future as she would have to tell staff at the university where she is studying.

Dempster was fined £65, told to pay a £15 government surcharge and ordered to pay £30 prosecution costs.

Kauser Ghani, 52, of Denham Street, Longsight, who was caught using a doctored Blue Badge, admitted fraudulently using the badge on Nicholas Street, Manchester.

She was spotted parking her silver Peugeot in a pay and display bay with a badge whose expiry date had been changed to 2008 when it should have been 2005.

The badge had belonged to her sister and the court heard that it was one of two of her badges which had been previously reported lost or stolen.

Doctored

The defendant, who is on benefits, insisted she had not doctored the badge herself although she admitted she knew it had been altered.

She was handed a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £340 full prosecution costs.

Maxine Lees, 35, of Greengate East, New Moston, who admitted using her husband's grandmother's Blue Badge on successive days in May on Byrom Street.

She told magistrates: "We do take nanna shopping because she's disabled. That's really all I can say. Just in this occasion she wasn't with me but I still used it."

Lees was fined £120 and ordered to pay £200 prosecution costs.

Tasmeen Bibi Hussain , 49, of Mornington Crescent, Fallowfield, admitted misusing a badge after she was caught parking her Toyota in pay and display bay on King Street in city centre Manchester.

The badge was registered to her mother whom she admitted she had just dropped off at the Manchester Royal Infirmary before travelling into the city.

Hussain, who is on income support, was fined £35 and ordered to pay £100 prosecution costs.

Julie Seaton, 50, of Aylesbury Grove, Middleton, who admitted misusing a badge, was caught using her mother-in-law's Blue Badge when she parked her Seat Ibiza in a pay and display bay on York Street in city centre Manchester.

Seaton, who said she did not realise she was breaking the law, was fined £175 and ordered to pay £303 costs.

Roberto Polacco, 41, of Zinc Court, Prestwich, admitted using his mother's badge to park his Honda car on Thomas Street in the city centre.

The defendant, who said he had dropped his mother off earlier, was fined £35 in his absence and ordered to pay £120 towards costs.

A further ten people had their cases adjourned or pleaded not guilty and will now face trial.