A college lecturer has been found guilty of multiple fraud offences relating to blue badge misuse.

Yasin Hussain, aged 35, of Woodfield Avenue in Batley appeared at Barnsley Magistrates court on 11 March for his trial.

The former Kirklees College lecturer, was arrested on the college premises on 11 December 2017 for a fraud offence where a disabled blue badge had been used by him on a number occasions in Kirklees.

The badge he was using was not in force and had been withdrawn in 2016. He was charged with fraudulent use of a blue badge and denied he worked or lived in Kirklees.

Kirklees District Police began to investigate and with the help of Kirklees fraud team uncovered a number of fraudulent offences against Hussain using the blue badge across Kirklees.

Hussain was found guilty at court and given 18 months conditional discharge and costs of £1,500.

PC Steve Nicholls, of Kirklees District Police, who led the investigation, said: “Through a joint investigation with the Kirklees Fraud Team, we were able to uncover that Hussain had used the blue badge that had previously been cancelled after a family member had reported it lost or stolen in August 2016.

“The misuse of blue badges will not be tolerated and we will prosecute anyone we find to be abusing this. Anyone who continually flout the rules will risk a criminal conviction, as this case demonstrates. Hussain was continually dishonest, using the blue badge for his own gain in order to evade parking charges whilst working as a College Lecturer.”

Cllr Graham Turner Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, said: “The blue badge parking scheme is an essential lifeline for people who would not otherwise be able to conduct their day to day business, but unfortunately there are a small number of people who would seek to abuse this system for their own gain. In this case a badge reported as stolen was being falsely used by Mr Hussain in the Kirklees area.

“Council Officers worked with the Police and other partners to identify the crime and the person responsible, and I am pleased that the robust action by the partnership has led to a successful prosecution. Hopefully, this will act as a deterrent to stop others thinking of doing the same thing.”