THE council is changing its policy of fining people at a box junction after an illegal charge was overturned following an appeal by an outraged motorist.

Pensioner Gordon George was filmed by a council spy car as he attempted to turn right from Bush Road, Leytonstone, on to the Green Man roundabout.

As his way was blocked by other cars on the same route, he was forced to stop in a yellow box junction and fined £120.

But the Highway Code allows road-users to enter the box and wait if they want to turn right and are stopped from doing so by traffic.

After checking the law he was convinced the fine was not valid and lodged an appeal to the council, which was rejected.

However, he took his fight to the independent adjudicator, who upheld his appeal and ordered the council to cancel the fine.

Mr George said: "It is unfair the way they make people suffer, this fine hangs over you and £120 is a lot of money for older people.

"And it annoys me because fining people in this way does not serve a traffic management purpose at all."

Mr George believes many other motorists may have also been illegally fined in similar circumstances.

He described the council's tactics as "highway robbery".

He said: “The council ought morally now to offer refunds to all who have paid the penalty charge notice in this particular right-turn circumstance and they should stop issuing fines in the future.”

The authority has now decided to change its policy because of the ruling, and will only issue tickets to drivers stopping in the box junction who are going straight ahead.

Cllr Bob Belam, the council's environment cabinet member is refusing to say whether it will pay back anyone who has already been wrongly fined, but said all matters relating to similar incidents at the junction have been "resolved."

The council is also refusing to reveal how many motorists were fined illegally at the junction.

Cllr Belam said: "I would like to apologise to Mr George and any other road users fined for any inconvenience that this may have caused them."

This is not the first time the council has been involved in yellow box junction controversy.

In February 2008 it was forced to remove a box at the junction of Leytonstone High Road and Burghley Road after it was found to breach regulations. The authority had to refund thousands of pounds in traffic fines.