The Bath Chronicle has forced a U-turn by council officials over a confusing parking system in the city’s best-known shopping street.

The paper has campaigned to highlight the injustice faced by hundreds of drivers fined after using what appeared to be a legitimate parking zone in historic Milsom Street.

Dotted white lines run parallel to the pavement and, although there is a single yellow line, there are no signs saying that parking is not allowed.

There are even parking meters along the side of the street.

For weeks, Bath and North East Somerset Council insisted there was no need for action to tackle the issue, and that there was no excuse for parking there.

But after a succession of Chronicle reports, including an investigation which photographed a council van parked for 15 minutes on a bus stop at the centre of the zone, the authority has admitted something needs to be done.

Within a few weeks there are plans to remove the dotted white lines that have convinced hundreds of people they could park in an area reserved for unloading and disabled drivers.

The council will also put up temporary signs explaining the situation so no more parking tickets are given out to unfortunate motorists.

Its plans have been welcomed by Milsom Street shopkeepers and those who had been on the receiving end of parking tickets.

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