Road workers have amused residents in a Highland town by leaving a gap in double yellow lines – because of overhanging shrubs.

The “no waiting” lines have been neatly repainted around many of the streets in Fort William.

However, it appears a short stretch of Kennedy Road at the entrance to the Plantation area of the Lochaber town is now exempt from the restriction.

The lines come to an abrupt stop on one side of the greenery hanging down onto the carriageway between Pine Grove and Argyll Road, then start again on the other side – leaving a gap of around eight feet without markings.

Lesley Boath, who is treasurer of the Plantation Community Association, said: “Lots of people are talking about it up here and we think it’s really funny.

“They should have just lifted the bushes up and finished the job off.

“It’s just lazy going around them and leaving it like that.”

A photograph of the broken yellow lines posted on a social networking site with the comment “Only in Fort William will the people painting yellow lines do this”.

It was followed by a flurry of jokes about the situation.

And it was pointed out that it would look even more amusing when the bushes were cut back.

One person said the workmen must have been horticulturists and pointed out that it would also save paint.

There were further suggestions that it could be a parking space for a motorcycle or a Smart car.

And another comment joked: “It must be a car bark.”

A Highland Council spokeswoman explained that the local authority had employed a contractor to carry out the line painting.

She said: “Apparently a machine is pushed along by one person and in this case they decided to get us to cut back the shrubs before doing this stretch.

“Unfortunately our staff did not have the opportunity to cut back the greenery before the contractor was on site, but we can confirm the contractor will be returning to complete the job.”