HUNDREDS of miles of yellow lines across Bolton could be illegal, town hall bosses have admitted.

Some motorists could escape parking fines if they can prove they were confused about faded, badly-painted or unfinished lines.

A major programme to repaint miles of lines will begin in the spring after highways managers were alerted to the problem. The revelation that some lines do not meet the criteria set out in the Road Traffic Act could mean Bolton Council could be flooded with claims from motorists who feel they were given parking fines based on inadequte yellow lines.

Lines across the borough have become faded after years of neglect - some to the extent that they cannot be recognised as double yellow lines. Others have been painted wrongly by contractors and miss the essential T-bar at the end of the line.

After an emergency meeting last week, town hall bosses acknowledged that the council needs to spend more money on line painting and maintenance.

Parking chiefs say attendants are trained to issue tickets if they are certain that the lines are correct, although minor faults in the lines would not be a reason for paying back fines.

Government regulations say that a bar needs to be painted across the end of the lines to form a T which marks the end of no parking zone.

Bob Norburn, aged 56, from Westhoughton, decided to draw the lines to the attention of the council, fearing motorists could be handed fines on lines which are not compliant with the law.

He now feels the council's decision to start repainting proves there are hundreds of miles of illegitimate lines across the town.

Mr Norburn said: "Enough is enough. There are hundreds of miles of lines in this area which just do not meet the criteria. Motorists should not be getting tickets on these lines, but I'm sure they are."

Jeff Layer, Bolton's assistant director of engineering, said: "Mr Norburn has highlighted the need for the council to invest more in the maintenance of lines and to ensure that, as far as is reasonably possible, lines in the borough comply with the law.

"Once the weather permits, we will start addressing the situation and commence with repainting faded lines."

But Mr Layer said motorists should not presume that they will escape fines on all the borough's lines.

"Parking attendants will not issue tickets on lines where there is any uncertainty over where the order starts and finishes, or if it is unclear that the line is a single yellow or a double yellow line.

"There cannot, however, be a presumption that yellow lines will be perfect. The standard of lines should be that there is no confusion," he said.

"But because the lines are not perfect doesn't mean that the traffic order is invalidated, as Mr Norburn seems to be suggesting."

Ian Taylor, head of parking services said it had been the policy of parking contractors Apcoa to check signs and yellow lines before issuing tickets since they took over responsibility for parking enforcement from the police in 2000.

"Part of Apcoa's role is to check lines and signs and, as far as I'm concerned, they do that," he said. "In the Apcoa handbook it says that, if the lines aren't in compliance, they don't issue the ticket.

"If someone is concerned, their appeal goes to the parking adjudication service in Manchester."

Mr Layer added: "It's important to remember that these lines are here to protect the motorist and pedestrian and to keep traffic flowing freely, not so we can fine people."

John Squires, who runs www.parkingticket.co.uk, a website devoted to motorists' rights, said: "If you were to travel to any borough in the country, you would probably find a similiar situation.

"People have won appeals on these sorts of technicalities, but motorists who appeal are really in the hands of the National Parking Adjusication Service."