THE latest motorist to fall foul of "confusing" parking signs in Blackburn's Church Street today vowed never to shop in the town centre again.

Suzy Larmour, of Margaret Street, Oswaldtwistle, said that if Blackburn with Darwen Council bosses didn't change the controversial disabled and loading bay signs then she would hit them in the pocket.

The council has put the signs up because it does not want to paint instructions on the expensive cobbles in Church Street.

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 larger.

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

Ms Larmour spoke out as other motorists accused the council of "highway robbery" after the Lancashire Evening Telegraph revealed that 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.

She said: "I have never knowingly parked in a disabled parking spot in my life and would never do so.

"It was an honest mistake simply because I didn't see the signs and there were no markings to indicate that the bay was only to be used by disabled people.

"If I had intended to flout the rules I would not have dutifully paid and displayed and am so angry as I know many others like me are being penalised by the council because the signs are not appropriate.

"I will no longer shop in Blackburn town centre due to the complete lack of confidence in all parking signs within the centre."

Blackburn Chamber of Trade president David Cottam said the chamber viewed the rise in tickets "very dimly" and said he could see motorists who had been penalised being put off from 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."

However Coun Andy Kay, executive member for regeneration for the council said there were no plans to change the signs and added: "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."