'This is what we're up against'
A car is being driven away on lorry in the centre of Nottingham during a very hot Friday afternoon. A small crowd of onlookers gathers and begins to speculate on why the vehicle is being taken - with some believing that the car simply has no insurance.
There is also a landline number which Marcus calls to check that the blue badge holder is not at home, which would be a misuse of the badge. With Wollaton Street showing no signs of any offences, we continue our journey around the city as Marcus tells us about some of the more shocking incidents his team has dealt with.
The use of a dead relative's blue badge is one of several offences that Marcus and his team have to tackle, with 38 of these offences being recorded last year. Another common offence is the use of stolen badges, many of which have recently originated from London, which Marcus says is becoming "renowned" for people stealing blue badges.
The cars we spot are therefore reported in to officers, who come and issue a ticket and, in some cases, authorise the vehicle to be taken to a pound near the Blenheim Industrial Estate in Bulwell. As we walk on to Thurland Street, Marcus reports a Peugeot to officers for being parked in a bay without a badge.
Those who have their car taken to the pound pay a £105 fee to release it, as well as fine of between £35 and £25. But for every day the car is at the pound, the cost goes up by £24. "People sometimes jump to assumptions about what we're doing, but what we're actually doing is trying to protect the blue badge system and it's something we take very seriously. We've sometimes had people visit Nottingham for the first time and get caught for misusing a blue badge straight away, but they might have been misusing it elsewhere for two years."
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