Most councils, including Bournemouth, failed to take action against a single motorist for misusing disabled parking permits in the past 12 months despite thefts soaring, figures show.

Ninety-four out of 152 English local authorities did not pursue anyone for abusing the blue badge scheme in 2017/18, according to analysis of Department for Transport data.

This includes 31 councils who did not catch anyone despite claiming to have a policy for prosecuting offenders.

Almost every case involving the 1,215 prosecutions which were launched involved drivers using someone else's blue badge.

The number of blue badges reported stolen increased by 45% year-on-year to 4,246.

Phil Talbot of disability charity Scope said: "It's disgraceful that so many local councils have failed to take action against people misusing blue badges - particularly at a time when thefts are on the rise.