BOLTON'S eager traffic wardens have been giving tickets to unmarked police cars parked legally in their bays.

CID cars parked in Queen Street, behind Bolton Central police station, have been repeatedly given tickets by wardens confusing them for cars belonging to the public.

A BEN photographer was on the scene to capture one example and the public have been assured that taxpayers' money is not paying the fines.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Buchanan, head of Bolton CID, confirmed that the car belonged to his department.

He added: "We are always being given tickets by mistake. But if this car was parked on a police bay then no one will pay for it and certainly not the taxpayer."

Lucy Kershaw, contract monitoring officer at Bolton Council, said: "Marked police cars won't get a ticket but the patrols can't see if the unmarked ones are police cars or not.

"It could be a member of the public parking in a police bay, which police don't want.

"We are working with them to sort out a permit system for unmarked police cars so our patrols know."

She added: "If tickets are issued in error they are cancelled anyway."