OVER 200 Blue Badges have been handed into the county council following an amnesty.

The council has issued about 21,000 Blue Badges to residents. They were asked to give them back if they no longer needed them.

The badges allow disabled people to have easy access to vehicles, whether they are a driver or a passenger.

But they should never be used if the badge holder is not present.

Misuse of a Blue Badge could land someone with a £1,000 fine.

Judith Heathcoat, the county council's deputy leader and cabinet member for customer services, said: “The Blue Badge Service is a lifeline for many disabled people who cannot travel far from their vehicle.

"However, the system is sometimes sadly abused by a minority, which affects those who rely on it."

Anyone who no longer needs a Blue Badge can hand it into County Hall in New Road, Oxford or post them to Blue Badge Service, PO Box 873, Oxford OX1 9NY.