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The city of London issued 289 tickets and seized 40 permits during a blitz targeting illegal parking in accessible spaces.

Enforcement officers fanned out across the city, visiting both public and private parking spaces during the one-week crackdown that ended Sunday.

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The number of tickets handed out last week was a 22 per cent increase from a similar blitz in July.

Some of the violations included vehicles parked in accessible parking spaces without displaying a permit; accessible parking permits being used by someone other than the permit holder; and vehicles displaying altered or expired permits.

Issued by the province, but strictly limited to people with a permanent or temporary disability, accessible parking permits must be prominently displayed on the dashboard or sun visor of a vehicle. Fines of up to $5,000 can be levied and the permit seized for misuse by another person, ServiceOntario says.

“These spaces are required for those who need them; they are not a luxury or a convenience,” said Annette Drost, London’s parking enforcement manager. “They give people a quality of life to allow them to visit or shop in our community.”