I have to admit I broke the law and got caught for breaking the law. My crime, dear readers, was driving in a bus lane.

A couple of weeks ago I was stopped by this police officer for driving in a bus lane. ‘Fair dos,’ I said, ‘you caught me red handed’.

Like most crimes of this high-profile nature you are asked to leave your vehicle and sit alongside the officer in his car.

As mine wasn’t deemed that big a deal he kindly let me sit up front.

The officer himself was almost apologetic – ‘We’re cracking down’.

‘On the bus lane drivers?’ I asked.

“Yes, I’m afraid.’ ‘I didn’t know,’ I replied.

‘Didn’t know that it was a bus lane?’ ‘No, that you were cracking down.’ It was strange conversation to say the least.

It ended with him issuing me a £30 fine. I hadn’t got a fine for many years. The last one was for parking on a single yellow line a full 37 seconds longer than I should have.

The law is the law I say and if you do something wrong you should be punished. But then again – no – not when it comes to bus lanes!

There is no doubt it was a bus lane but in my defence it wasn’t a proper one.

The bus lane in question is the little channel between Railway Road and Darwen Street, Blackburn – I think it is called Jubilee Street.

Now, most people will realise that stretch of road should not really be a bus lane. This became a bus lane when those crazy planners were having a bad day.

I have nothing against the buses as such. I come from a long line of bus conductors and drivers. Well, two actually.

The point I don’t mind giving the buses priority but someone has got to make it easier for me to drive from one side of town to the other without using up a litre of petrol.

I don’t want to take silly lefts and stupid rights just so I can travel 100 yards.