CONFUSED drivers have fallen foul of parking regulations after the council was granted permission not to paint warning markings on the road.

In a bid to protect the expensive stone setts in Church Street, Blackburn with Darwen Council applied for special permission from the Department for Transport (DfT) to break parking conventions.

It has now been given the green light to replace road markings that denote loading bays and disabled parking with signs instead.

But drivers have accused the authority of putting the look of Church Street ahead of the needs of shoppers.

According to DfT rules, to fine someone for parking in a disabled bay without the right permit there must be a sign above the space and a yellow disabled symbol painted within the lines of the bay. Loading bays are shown by yellow marks on the kerb or at the edge of the carriageway.

But the council argued the move was necessary to protect the aesthetics of the Church Street area and permission was granted on its second application in August.

Disabled driver, Lindsay Dunn, from Highercroft, was issued with a ticket for parking in one of the loading bays on September 29. He said: "I should have been informed by the parking attendants I was parking in a loading bay and then I would have moved.

"I hadn't seen the signs and, as there were no road markings to suggest otherwise, I parked there. An attendant saw me do it but made no attempt to inform me of my mistake.

"I parked there at 11.15am and the time on the ticket read 11.16am -- it was as if she was stood behind the car just waiting to issue it. If the council are going against nationwide conventions and using signs then their signs should be a lot bigger and much clearer."

And Douglas Campbell, executive director of national campaign group The Disabled Drivers' Association, said: "It's ridiculous to allow the needs of disabled people to be over-ruled by fancy paving."

Another driver who was moved on by wardens for parking in a disabled bay said: "It is a good job I hadn't got out of the car or I am sure I would have got a ticket.

"I hadn't seen the sign. They really should make it clearer."

But Coun Andy Kay, council executive member for regeneration, said: "In order to keep the good quality environment created on Church Street, permission from the Secretary of State was sought and has been granted to implement and enforce existing restrictions with signage alone.

"All entry points to the area have warning signs which state parking is only allowed in signed bays.

"The parking attendants will warn motorists if they witness a parking contravention occurring. However, if a vehicle is unattended then enforcement will be actioned as normal."