A senior traffic warden whose job it was to report people who misused disabled badges was sacked - after he was caught using his dead mother's blue badge to go shopping. 

Dinesh Patel, who had 20 years experience as a parking officer, was caught breaching the blue badge rules he was responsible for enforcing, a tribunal heard.

He was caught with his late mother's blue badge on display in his car so he could avoid paying for parking while he went shopping, it was heard.

Mr Patel, who worked for the London Borough of Harrow, argued it was a 'silly mistake' but was fired because he 'should be leading by example'.

He tried to sue the council for unfair dismissal but an employment tribunal has thrown out his case, ruling he knew the rules because of his job.

Watford Employment Tribunal heard Mr Patel started working as a Civil Enforcement Officer for the London Borough of Harrow in December 2001, and he was promoted to Senior Civil Enforcement Officer in August 2019.

His role included 'monitoring, reporting and enforcing the misuse of disabled blue badges' and 'giving evidence to court about criminal and civil breaches'.

Mr Patel's mother was a blue badge user and it was valid from August 2018 to August 2021 but she died three months before the expiry of the blue badge.

On September 20, 2021, Mr Patel was issued a Penalty Charge Notice because he was found to be using his mother's blue badge.

Mr Patel claimed that his aunt was with him in the car and that he left to get some shopping having parked the car, and that she later left the car, displaying the blue badge.

He said that he did not pay for his parking because it was during COVID and he was unsure if a payment was required.

In May 2022, Mr Patel pleaded guilty at Magistrates Court to wrongful use of a disabled person's badge and received a fine.

His manager, Gary Cooley, became aware of his offence and he invited him to a disciplinary meeting.

At the meeting, Mr Patel explained that different people had access to the car and that he would drive around with the blue badge on the dashboard.

Employment Judge Nathaniel Caiden said: 'Mr Patel explained this was a silly mistake and didn't think the matter would go further.'

After the disciplinary hearing, the council decided to dismiss Mr Patel because he had committed gross misconduct.

The letter for his dismissal said: 'Given your role as a 'Senior Civil Enforcement Officer' and your tenure at Harrow Council of over 20 years, you should be leading by example and ensure that any matters relating to fraud would be disclosed to Management at the earliest opportunity.'

Judge Caiden ruled that there was no unfair dismissal.

He said: 'Whilst you have maintained that it was not you who displayed the disabled parking badge, you are responsible for this action as the vehicle is registered to your name.'

He said he sympathised with him over the loss of his mother and the impact it had but said four months was enough time in which to have returned the disabled parking badge.

The judge said his lengthy service meant Mr Patel 'should have definitely known better'. 

'There was a particularly strong relationship between the criminal conviction and [Mr Patel's] job,' the judge said. 

'He should therefore have known of the position and was in fact responsible for enforcing it.'