IT'S marked "loading bay", but it might as well say "free parking" according to a parking crusader who says he has helped drivers reclaim tens of thousands in fines.

Neil Herron, of Parking Appeals, contacted the Daily Echo after spotting our story about the mayoral limo, which was photographed parked "illegally" in a loading bay on the service road behind the Dolphin Centre.

Mr Herron, a former fishmonger turned law expert, runs a business in Sunderland helping drivers appeal against fines.

He says he has helped get thousands of tickets written off across the country.

He told the Echo he believed the bay we pictured was too narrow and so failed to comply with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002.

"It must be a minimum of 2.7 metres wide," explained Mr Herron.

"Therefore, anybody issued with fines at this location must be refunded, and until the council change it to comply with the law, it is free parking."

He added: "There is not one council I have found where all the lines and signs are correct and they are still fining motorists.

"A traffic order is the legal document which allows you to fine someone.

"But it can't come into force until all the lines and signs are correct."

The Echo measured the loading bays, which line sections on both sides of the service road.

"We found most were less than 2m and at one point the bay was just 140cm wide - narrower than the average car.

And it is possible other "loading only" bays across the borough could also be too narrow.

Mr Herron, one of the "Metric Martyrs" - traders who since 2000 have been leading a fight against compulsory metrification - has put his research of little-known laws to good use.

He added: "I've found out what the councils really don't want to tell us and now we're holding the authorities to account."

Richard Hein, parking services manager at the Borough of Poole, said: "We are currently conducting a borough-wide audit of all traffic regulations orders in Poole to ensure all parking bays, signs and lines comply with existing legislation.

"The council does not pursue normal enforcement procedures where parking areas are identified as failing to meet appropriate guidelines.

"We will carry out an audit of the Kingland Road service road as a matter of priority and have informed our parking services staff not to enforce there until this matter is resolved."

The Department for Transport confirmed that current laws require loading bays to be 2.7m wide.

A spokesman for the DfT said: "The current Regulations - and the preceding 1994 Regulations - prescribe a minimum loading bay width of 2.7 metres.

"Before the 1994 Regulations came into force, a minimum loading bay width of 1.8 metres was permitted.

"If the road in question has not been resurfaced since the 1994 Regulations came into force, or the loading bay markings moved, this would remain a lawful loading bay."

He added: "Whether signs and lines are lawful are matters for the courts or a parking adjudicator to determine."