AN internal investigation has been launched after a driver was issued with two penalty tickets for straying into a bus lane in Blackburn.

Michael Read was driving along Bolton Road towards Blackburn town centre on December 6 when he allegedly cut through a bus lane.

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Mr Read denies the accusation, said he intends to appeal the ticket and has asked Blackburn with Darwen Council for further evidence.

But to add insult to injury, Mr Read received two penalty charge notices (PCN) for the same offence from the council.

It is the second time the Lancashire Telegraph has reported the error and follows on from Clitheroe father-of-two Joseph Bux receiving duplicate tickets for driving in a bus lane in Accrington Road in October.

A council spokesman said the duplicate ticket has been cancelled and an investigation has been launched to discover how the mistake happened.

But Mr Read, who lives in Eastleigh, Hampshire, and was in the North West house-hunting., branded it a money-making scheme.

He said: “We had been to look at houses in Blackburn and then set the satnav to take us along the A666 to join the motorway to Chorley, where we were staying.

“As complete strangers,we approached Ewood Park, which to me is what Blackburn is all about. Amidst all the confusing signs the satnav said straight on at the mini-roundabout - but we were confronted by a bus lane and nothing else.

“We saw no diversion signs.

“I should really like to see proper photographs of the location of this alleged offence as we appeared to have been driven onto the bus lane, there being no alternative for complete strangers.

“I was not at all happy to receive not one but two PCNs for unavoidably entering a bus lane.

“I tried to phone Blackburn Parking Services to ask both for photos showing the car actually in the bus lane and to get the duplicate PCN cancelled, but I simply got a completely automated response. I then tried the website but it gave very little information.”

The council introduced fines for anyone other than bus drivers or Hackney carriage drivers using the new Pennine Reach bus lanes on September 1. The penalty is £60 or £30 if paid within 21 days.

The Lancashire Telegraph exclusively revealed the council generated an income of between £192,150 and £384,300 in the first two months of introducing the charges, having issued 6,405 fine.

A Blackburn with Darwen spokesman said: “This appears to have been an administrative error and we are looking into how it occurred.

“A letter will be sent to Mr Read to let him know the duplicate penalty notice has been cancelled.”

“Anyone who is given a parking ticket in the borough has the right to appeal in writing to the council’s parking services, details of which are on the parking ticket.”