A DRIVER is fuming after being given a parking ticket in a row over hidden double yellow lines.

When Amit Kumar parked his car on a side street in Manchester centre, there were no double yellow lines in the bay. When he returned later, he was confronted by parking attendants who wanted to know who had painted out the yellow lines.

Legal assistant Amit, 27, had noticed the lines had been covered in black paint. He thought it meant there were no restrictions.

But as he watched from his office on Tivoli Street, traffic wardens slapped a £70 fixed penalty notice on his Audi A4.

Amit, from south Manchester, remonstrated with the wardens, but was told the ticket would stand because the yellow-lines had been illegally painted over.

Accused

He was accused of painting over the lines himself.

He said: "I saw him through the office window and went out. I pointed out there weren't any double yellows there. He said somebody would be coming along to paint them back and he basically accused me of being the one who had painted them out. Then he just gave me the ticket anyway.

"I had done no such thing. To be honest, I thought the council had done it because I don't think it is council land.

"I've heard of other people in our building who say they've had tickets for parking in that space, which were quashed because it's not council land." A spokesman for Manchester Council said: "It is apparent that a small section of double yellow lines on Tivoli St have been deliberately obscured with a view to avoiding the obvious parking restrictions in place.

"If a motorist in receipt of a parking ticket considers that it should not be paid, they should appeal following the instructions on the reverse of the parking ticket."

The spokesman added: "It is a private street but we have been asked by the landlord to enforce parking regulations."

Within hours of the incident the black paint had been removed and the lines were back for all to see.

It made no difference to at least one motorist. Yesterday , another Audi had parked in the same spot. A warden was quickly on the scene and slapped another £70 fixed penalty notice on the windscreen.