A quarter of all disabled parking badges checked in a police and council sting could be stolen or misused.

Forty-seven badges were seized during a three week blitz in Brighton and Hove and a further 214 are being investigated.

Forty of those confiscated were suspected of being stolen property or being misused by an able bodied driver who had borrowed them from someone else. A further seven had expired.

A total of 991 vehicles displaying disabled badges were checked, of which 730 badges were found to be definitely legitimate.

Further checks are to be carried out on another 214 badges to verify whether they were being used properly.

These are cases where the driver was not present and the vehicle was not registered as belonging to a disabled driver.

Drivers found fraudulently using blue badges face prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.

Vehicles displaying stolen badges are also towed away.

The crackdown, called Operation Bluebird, was organised by Brighton and Hove City Council and Sussex Police.

For more information about disabled parking, or to report a lost badge, call the parking information centres at Brighton and Hove on 01273 293225 or 01273 296622.

Anyone with information about fraudulent use of a disabled badge can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.