Yellow lines take a surreal turn in Bath

It has emerged that wobbly double yellow lines on a Bath street were not the work of a council employee with a less than steady hand. They were actually applied by a member of the public.

The “abstract lines” were added to temporary lines laid down by Bath & North Someerst Council. A spokesman council said: "We are certain that the wiggly lines have been painted on the road illegally by a member of the public. If anyone suspects that single or double yellow lines have appeared unofficially on any road, they should contact the council."

The council sometimes paints temporary yellow lines, but always using a template to ensure that they are straight, the spokesman said. “They would have the same validity as permanent lines. Indeed would often be marked permanently at a later stage. In this case a resident added their own temporary lines, extending ones we had put in. These obviously have no validity and the council is attending to all signage on that road to ensure it is correct.”

So, what was the motivation behind the wobbly lines? A feeble attempt to emulate Banksy? A statement on the wobbliness of modern society? Or merely one person’s wish for increased on-street enforcement?