The fiasco over thousands of dollars of unpaid parking fines took another twist yesterday when more than 100 offenders were allowed to pay just a part of their fine.

Magistrates' Court was besieged with masses of offenders who had finally been brought to court because of unpaid fines.

But in a bid to speed up the process offenders were given the option of paying just $50 -- the penalty for paying a fine on time -- rather than appear before a Magistrate and being ordered to pay an $80 penalty.

That decision cost Government about $3,000 in just one afternoon and, although it has not been confirmed, it looks like a further $250,000 worth of fines, issued in the first half of last year, will be written off completely because they are too old.

All defendants in court yesterday had been issued with tickets last July and so fall within the six-month time limit.

Last night Senior Magistrate Will Francis said he recommended the move in a bid to clear the backlog quickly.

"Police and prosecutions asked me and I said that it was a prerogative that the process was speeded up,'' he said.

"This was made bearing in mind the fact that the Attorney General has decided not to appeal the decision that cases from the first half of last year are out of date.'' It is not yet known whether future offenders will be given the same option until the backlog is down to a manageable level. Another 200 parking offenders are due in court next week.

The installation of a new computer system has created the massive backlog of unpaid parking tickets not being collected.

And although Magistrates and court administrators are working hard to clear the backlog, the system could be thrown into further chaos because of a legal loophole.

Yesterday attorney Mr. Philip Perinchief told The Royal Gazette that he was examining the legal validity of parking vouchers handed out by traffic wardens.

Mr. Perinchief claims that, because the vouchers have not been sanctioned by Parliament, any money that is collected could be done so illegally.

"At the moment Police radar and alco-analysers are sanctioned by Parliament or some such law,'' Mr. Perinchief said.

"But the traffic wardens work under the Corporation of Hamilton ordinances. I want to know what gives the vouchers their validity.

"If they haven't been legally sanctioned then their usage has been illegal and improper from their inception.

"It could mean that Parliament would have to change the act or put forward a new bill. But, if it's illegal, what about all those people who have already paid fines?'' Last night Transport Minister Wayne Furbert was not available for comment but it is understood Government is looking at ways of amending the fines system.

That could include the introduction of a points system, whereby drivers will be docked points for certain offences such as not paying a parking fine.

When the licence expires the driver would not be able to renew the licence until the fine is paid.

"The whole system needs looking at,'' Mr. Perinchief said.