British motorists have been hit with more than 1.1 million penalties for illegally driving in bus lanes, new figures show.

Data compiled by the RAC reveals that 1,128,259 penalty charge notices (PCNs) were handed out in 2017 alone, equating to more than £68m in charges, and around 3.4 million were issued between 2015 and 2017.

The number of penalties handed to drivers misusing bus lanes has risen 5pc over the past three years, the roadside recovery group said.

The research – gathered from a freedom of information request to city councils in London and across the UK – found that of the 20 major British cities, Manchester City Council was found to have issued the most notices between 2015-17, with a total of 352,688 fines sent out – a 175pc increase on 2015.

The second highest number of notices were issued by Glasgow City Council between 2015 and 2017, with 339,402 sent in total. Cardiff City Council, Bradford City Council and Nottingham City Council followed with 267,713, 208,790 and 194,993 notices, respectively.

Motorists in London were handed a total of 994,473 fines between 2015 and 2017, but this spans all local councils in the capital.

PCN fines cost between £80 and £160 in London – depending on how quickly a driver pays – and around £60 in more rural areas.