LIVERPOOL council tore up fines issued to drivers who flouted bus lane regulations.

Motorists were issued with £60 fixed penalty fines for driving down a city centre bus lane.

They were caught on automatic spy cameras but chose to appeal against the tickets.

Town Hall bosses decided not to challenge the appeals – because a sign was put in the wrong place.

The issue came to light at the beginning of October when a woman driver took her case to an appeal.

She apparently drove along the bus lane nine times but claimed a sign before the restrictions was “confusing”.

An adjudicator at the Traffic Penalty Tribunal agreed, which undermined tickets handed out for driving in that stretch of bus lane.

The woman was caught on Lime Street.

Liverpool City Council said it chose not to contest eight appeals after she won her case.

It added that the potentially confusing sign was removed on October 15.

One of the drivers who successfully appealed was 21-year-old Ford KA driver Paul Rogers.

He was photographed in the bus lane mid-afternoon on Saturday August 2010.

Less than two weeks later he was sent a fixed penalty notice demanding £30, which would rise to £60 if not paid within a fortnight.

But Mr Rogers, who lives in Tobacco Wharf, chose to fight the fine.

He said last night: “I was taking my girlfriend home, travelling out of the city centre.

“It was near a shop called Quiggins. We were heading back towards Kirkdale.

“You don’t realise you’re going in the bus lane until you’re there.”

Self-employed web designer Mr Rogers added: “The council initially rejected my appeal, but I took it further and filed with the Traffic Penalties Tribunal.

“I did it all myself. I looked up the legislation online.”

The bus lane cameras were only switched on in September, 2009.

They caught more than 1,680 motorists in their first three days of operation.

When they were installed council officials said they thought around 10,000 motorists would be caught by them each year.

The scheme, including improved lane signage and camera installation, cost £235,000, with the running costs estimated at £210,000 a year.

Referring to the batch of uncontested appeals, a council spokesman said: “The bus lane has the correct signage and markings approved by the Department of Transport.

“However, we were advised by the national appeals adjudicator to remove an additional early warning sign on one of the approach roads because it could confuse motorists.

“It has now been removed.

“As a gesture of goodwill, we have written off the eight penalty charge appeals pending for this bus lane.”