The council is to look into the legality of all its loading bays after drivers were wrongly fined hundreds of thousands of pounds for stopping in an illegally-marked bay.

Motorist Nigel Wise took on the council after receiving a £50 fine for stopping for two minutes in the offending bay in St Margarets in April.

The council has since admitted the bay was wrongly marked – and now it is to look at the legality of every other loading bay in the borough.

Mr Wise said: “I found up to five unlawful bays in half-an-hour.

“I have been informed a council officer has been dispatching council employees to all loading bays in the borough, to check them for compliance.”

Despite the council re-marking the St Margarets bay last month, Mr Wise claims the parking spot, which raked in £1,400 a day in fines, is still illegal.

He claims the bay, and the loading only markings, are smaller than the mandatory requirement.

He said there was little point in the council making checks across the borough if officials did not know the regulations.

To clear matters up the Whitton carer met a council officer on Monday, to discuss the legal requirements.

Felicity Smart, founder of St Margarets Parking Association, joined Mr Wise for the meeting.

She called on the council to alter the sign at the bay, claiming it “defies common sense”, and urged anyone caught out to email her at fms1 @blueyonder.co.uk.

She said: “The Tory council is committed to helping shoppers and traders – start by improving the signage.”

Councillor Clare Head, Richmond Council cabinet member for traffic, said: “An officer visited the loading bay in St Margarets with Mr Wise on Monday, and the council will consider his comments in relation to both the markings at St Margarets and at other bays in the borough.”

Last month, a Freedom of Information request from Mr Wise revealed drivers have been slapped with fines totalling £500,000 in the space of five years.

However, Richmond Council said it would not reimburse drivers left out of pocket.