MOTORISTS today accused council bosses of "highway robbery" after "complicated" signs were blamed for a massive increase in parking fines on a street.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has put the signs up because it does not want to paint instructions on the expensive cobbles in Church Street, Blackburn.

The signs enforce no parking in the loading or disabled bays alongside the conventional spaces at the bottom of the pedestrianised street.

And despite complaints from confused motorists, the council has refused to make the signs clearer or larger.

Loading and disabled bays are traditionally marked with paint on Tarmac but the council won the right to enforce regulations by signs only from the Department for Transport in September.

Since then the number of motorists issued with tickets for breaching parking regulations in Church Street has risen from an average of 57 per month for the four months preceding the ruling to 237 in September, 325 in October, 289 in November and 259 in December.

Motorist Neil Rutter, of Kentmere Drive, Blackburn, said he fell foul of parking attendants when he parked in a bay without realising it was designated for disabled drivers.

He said: "In 22 years of motoring I have never had a parking ticket nor would ever park in a disabled bay knowingly.

"This is the first time I have encountered disabled bays that are not marked and made a genuine mistake.

"I realise that I will have to pay the fine but also know that I am not the first nor the last who will be deceived by this confusing system of signs.

"I parked on Church Street at 11.17am and paid for an hour. The ticket was issued at 11.27am.

"The council denies allegations that its attendants are over zealous and hide round corners waiting for people to make mistakes.

"But if it is not going to paint its precious cobbles then clearer signs need to be placed to stop the confusion as the situation at present is tantamount to highway robbery.

"It does not take a genius to realise the massive increase in the number of tickets is a direct result of these new signs and the council's refusal to put paint on the cobbles."

President of Blackburn's Chamber of Trade, David Cottam, said the chamber viewed the rise in tickets "very dimly" and were concerned that the motorists who had been penalised would be put off form returning to Blackburn to shop.

He said: "It is very disappointing to see these sorts of figures when we are striving to get people to shop in Blackburn.

"The chamber is most concerned and we will now take up the issue of better signs with the council to see if anything can be done.

"We can only view this very dimly and if people are coming into Blackburn and falling foul to the lack of road markings then they simply won't come back."

Coun Andy Kay, executive member for regeneration for the council said: "The increase in the numbers of tickets issued is purely down to the fact that the area now being enforced covers the whole of Church Street not just the lower part.

"As a result of this, from September 19 we are coming across more people who have parked their vehicles illegally at the upper parts of Church Street.

"We had specific reasons for choosing to use more creative markings and that was to preserve the unique character of the Church Street conservation area."