THE wording on fines issued to motorists for crossing Lendal Bridge has been changed after a councillor claimed it might make people think they should drive to Northampton to pay up.

City of York Council has admitted that the original wording on its penalty change notices (PCN) could be misinterpreted and cancelled a fine issued to an Osbaldwick woman, on whose behalf Coun Mark Warters had intervened.

The Osbaldwick councillor said the PCN was headed 'City of York Council' but with a postal address in Northampton, where the council uses a processing centre for PCNs. It then suggested people could ‘pay on line using the self-service kiosks in the council offices.'

He said: "Which council office? There is no mention of the CYC offices in York on this communication - are York residents expected to travel to Northampton to use these kiosks?”

Coun Warters suggested that all motorists fined for crossing Lendal Bridge could challenge their PCNs over the same issue.

A council spokeswoman said the wording was changed from "pay online using the self-service kiosks in the council offices" to “pay online using the self-service kiosks in the City of York Council Offices" following Coun Warters’ assertion that people could misinterpret their location as being in Northampton rather than at West Offices, York.

"No mention of this 'misunderstanding' has ever been made to any member of staff either here or in Northampton," she said. "In no way do the changes made affect the enforceability of any PCN."