The group said on Saturday that blue badge thefts, which permit disabled people to park for free in pay-and-display bays and for up to three hours on yellow lines, has risen from 656 in 2013 to 1,756 in 2014, a 167% annual increase.
LGA transport spokesman Peter Box said blue badges were essential in helping disabled people get out and about to visit shops or family and friends.
“Callous blue badge thieves and unscrupulous fraudsters using them illegally are robbing disabled people of this independence,” he said.
“It is staggering how low some people are stooping simply to con a few hours of free parking and alarming to see thefts rising so significantly.
“Despite limited resources, councils will continue trying to crackdown on this crime and will not hesitate to prosecute drivers trying to abuse the system. To win the fight against blue badge fraud, residents must keep tipping councils off about people they suspect are illegally using a badge.”
More than two million disabled people use blue badges, which in London also exempt holders from the congestion charge, saving around £2,500 a year.
Councils prosecuted 565 offenders in 2014 and seized badges suspected of being used illegally. Some authorities have also set up specific enforcement teams to tackle instances of the fraud.
