Hundreds of car drivers fined for using a bus lane may get their money back - after a motorist discovered blundering council bosses had never legally sanctioned the route. Driver-turned detective Perry Robinson has had his summons for driving in the bus lane in Birmingham scrapped. It follows his discovery that the bus lane at the junction of Kingsbury Road and Tyburn Road, Erdington, was set up on a temporary "experimental" basis for 18 months in 1998 - and city council bosses then forgot to make it permanent. It means that technically it has not been a properly authorised bus lane since February 2001. And that could open the floodgates for all other motorists fined for driving in the lane since then to claim their money back. Today, jubilant father of three Mr Robinson, of Ryknild Street, Lichfield tore up his summons and said: "As a motorist it sometimes feel that the authorities are hell bent on screwing every last penny out of you. "So it feels great to finally get one over on them and expose their incompetence." Food company manager Mr Robinson was caught in the bus lane on October 8 last year and given a standard £45 fine. He was one of dozens of drivers caught in a trap set by three policemen and three traffic wardens. But, incensed by the way he was "trapped" by police, he refused to pay the fine and decided instead to fight the case in court. "I was really angry," he said. "I was stuck behind a big lorry at the time and had not seen the bus lane signs. I also felt it was a case of entrapment by the police. "I found out that the order for the bus lane was approved by the council in July 1998 but only for an experimental 18 months. "I then discovered the council had forgotten to make it permanent." The Crown Prosecution Service today confirmed that it had had now "discontinued" the case. A Birmingham City Council spokeswoman said: "Unfortunately the order for the bus lane did expire and was not renewed. "We are investigating to see how this happened." | 
