A CAMPAIGNER has taken photographs of 23 parking signs in Bolton town centre which he claims are illegal.

Barry Moss, aged 60, has also deliberately picked up five parking tickets after leaving his car over the parking bays and plans to challenge Bolton Council, which he says is unlawfully booking drivers.

The signs say vehicles "must park within a parking space" - but do not explicitly state they must be "wholly" within an allotted bay.

That was the reason why the National Parking Adjudication Service overturned a ticket handed to Mr Moss's daughter-in-law, Tracey Pilkington.

The mother-of-four, of Park Road, Westhoughton, parked her Vauxhall Tigra five-inches over the parking space line at the Topp Way car park in Bolton last December.

Mr Moss has now written to the council threatening to report it to the Local Government Ombudsman if it does not stop issuing what he claims are "unlawful" tickets.

He said: "There was only one sign I found in the town centre that had any legality - and that was in a private car park. I got the five tickets for the sake of it, just so I can fight the council and I would urge other drivers in Bolton to do the same.

"I'm fighting an injustice because they are totally ignoring the laws of the country."

Details of Mr Moss's campaign were first reported in The Bolton News when we launched Warden Watch, calling for parking attendants to be given more discretion when issuing tickets. Drivers have criticised parking attendants for being over-zealous.

Mr Moss, of Hindley Road, Daisy Hill, also alleges that pay-and-display machines alongside on-street parking spaces and at off-street car parks are illegal.

The self-taught expert in parking laws and appeals said: "People who have paid fines without realising these signs are illegal should apply for their money back."

A council spokesman said: "The council is in the process of reviewing the signs that are displayed at car parks throughout the borough and any changes required as a result of that review will be actioned without delay.

"The council judges each case on its own facts and will look carefully at the penalty charge notices issued to Mr Moss.

"It will, however, proceed with enforcement action if such action is deemed to be appropriate and necessary.

"The decision of the adjudicator in relation to the appeal was brought by Miss Pilkington does not make parking enforcement in Bolton illegal and there is no reference to this in the decision.

"The adjudicator did not say the sign was illegal and the council has been successful on a previous occasion when parking outside the bay was adjudicated upon."