DRIVERS hit with a penalty fine after getting caught on camera using a new bus lane will receive an early Christmas present by a mayor who is giving more than 2,500 offenders their money back.

Enforcement cameras were installed in June on Newport Road in Middlesbrough to catch motorists illegally using a new bus lane.

Until July 26 all rule-breakers received written warnings but afterwards 2,673 were landed with £60 penalty notices, reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days, generating £65,647 in revenue.

However, mayor Ray Mallon has announced that the public had a right to be treated with ‘fairness’ and as not everyone had received a warning for their first time offence, they would be reimbursed.

The former detective superintendent of Cleveland Police who is serving the last months of his third term as elected mayor, said he believed that a proportionate intervention in any form of minor law-breaking was the most appropriate policy.

“We have had examples of private car park enforcement companies issuing fixed penalty charges to the maximum tariff of £100 with no mitigating circumstances being taken into account, when a simple request for the driver to move the car would have been sufficient.

Some private car park providers have abused their authority and thereby abused the public. This cannot be right, as the public has a right to be treated with fairness and proportionately.”

Speaking to the full council at Middlesbrough Town Hall, Mr Mallon outlined savings amounting to £14.1m for the next financial year and repeated his pledge that council tax should rise by about 1.9 per cent.

He added: “I hold the firm view that this council does not abuse its authority and, in most cases, we are proportionate in our enforcement policy and we are not an organisation that is motivated by income generation at the expense of the public at large.”

He explained that the camera was installed with keeping the bus lane clear so public transport could keep to its timetable through a congested part of Middlesbrough.

Mr Mallon said the CCTV cameras would remain and any driver caught flouting the law will receive a warning notice in the post before a fine is issued for any subsequent breach.

All 1,958 drivers who received a fine with no warning first will be reimbursed and those who appealed but failed and paid the fixed penalty charge will get their money back.

Any members of the public who have refused to pay the fine will not be pursued by the council for late payment added Mr Mallon who said the new policy would come into effect on Monday, December 15.