18,000 drivers given illegal fines

• Bus lane cameras unapproved
• 18,145 drivers wrongly fined
• £544,000 can be reclaimed

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Manchester council is being forced to cancel nearly 20,000 fines issued to drivers using bus lanes in the city.

A legal loophole means that because the cameras were not certified correctly, the fines issued during periods of time between October 2006 and December 2008 are invalid.

More than £544,000 was collected in fines; those issued with a ticket will now be able to reclaim their money.

Vicky Rosin, the council's director of neighbourhood services said: 'We apologise for this mix-up. Anyone who thinks they have been issued with a Penalty Charge Notice by one of these cameras during the period in the past when they were not approved can contact the City Council. We will look at each ticket on a case by case basis.'

• Anyone who thinks they have received a fine for driving in a bus lane generated by one of the cameras which was not approved should e-mail their ticket number to buslanerepresentation@manchester.gov.uk or write to Bus Lane queries, PO Box 585, Manchester M60 3NZ. They will need to provide the ticket number or, if they no longer have this, their vehicle registration details and date the fine was issued.