A "blue badge clampdown" in Worcester has been hailed a success.

Civil enforcement officers at Worcester City Council have completed a week-long operation as part of a county-wide crackdown on badge misuse.

With an estimated three million blue badges issued in England and Wales and close to 10,000 badges issued in Worcestershire alone, demand for parking in disabled bays is high.

Between September 23 and 29 the city council inspected 163 badges on display in its 16 car parks and at busy on-street blue badge bays in the city centre including at The Cross, The Cornmarket, The Trinity and Trinity Street. Four badges were seized because they were out of date and another was confiscated because it was not being used correctly. In all five cases the badges have been returned to the council that issued them so that appropriate action can be taken. Badge misuse can result in a maximum fine of £1,000, as well as withdrawal of the badge.

City council parking manager Andy Chinn said: “It’s very pleasing to see so few badges being misused in our city. This shows that previous clampdowns and the on-going work we do year-round has been successful in getting the message across."