Drivers fined for using a Clapham bus lane could be reimbursed after Lambeth Council accepted it was inadequately signposted.

After months of complaints from angry motorists, the council finally admitted it would have to stop issuing fines for cars trespassing in the bus lane – which has made more than £400,000 per year in the past six years.

The bus lane, at the corner of Clapham Park Road and Abbeville Road, also had a short taper, making it confusing for drivers to know where it began. Despite not meeting bus lane regulations, Lambeth Council had been collecting as much as £120 from each wrongly fined motorist.

Imran Ispahani, 56, an IT manager from Richmond, said: “The lane was not signposted properly, but the council did not seem to have been following the rules and checking things. They just kept issuing more and more tickets.”

After months of appeals Mr Ispahani finally had his fine revoked when he received a letter from the council stating that they had re-examined the bus lane and found it did not meet their transport guidelines.

Suzanne Campbell, 58, a graphics consultant from West Hampstead, was also caught out.

She said: “I’m outraged – the taper is too short, signs are missing or in the wrong place, the width of the bus lane is too narrow and it doesn’t comply with the Traffic Management Order yet, despite complaints, the council still issues tickets for it.”

Figures obtained by residents under the Freedom of Information Act revealed more than £2.5m had been made in fines over the past six years.

A Lambeth Council spokesman said: “We have been operating this bus lane in good faith.

“However, it has come to our attention that the signage needs to be improved. We have therefore temporarily suspended enforcement while this work is carried out. This is expected to take a month.”

When asked whether motorists would be reimbursed, the spokesman said each case would be reviewed individually.

He said: “Although we don’t believe it would be appropriate to reopen past closed cases, we will reconsider, on a case-by-case basis, any correspondence received from a motorist who previously challenged the PCN on the grounds the signage was inadequate.”

Have you been caught out by the bus lane? Let us know at newsdesk@wandsworthguardian.co.uk