RED-faced highway chiefs admit it was one big blunder.

The wobbly white lines that have driven motorists in the New Forest mad will be burnt off today - because they are supposed to be straight.

And last night they blamed the mistake on a highways worker who misread a map because it was creased.

The main road through East Boldre was daubed with wobbly lines by council contractors in a bid to slow cars down.

But the contractors painted some sections half a metre too far into the road and topped off the blunder by joining them all up with wobbly, wavy lines.

Confused residents couldn't believe their eyes. One told the Daily Echo the lines looked "diabolical".

They must now be repainted at a cost of about £1,000.

Hampshire County Council is taking full responsibility for the mess. It recommended the road markings to make the road appear narrower and cut speeding.

The council wanted parallel lines 480 centimetres apart down each side of the road but because the drawings were badly folded its measurements looked like 430cms and 420cms.

A council spokesman said the blunders were made due to a "misinterpretation of the plans" by the council's long-term team of highway contractors.

''We are looking to put it right as soon as the weather is favourable,'' she said.

"White lining can be used to help reduce traffic speeds by making roads look narrower," the council spokesman said.

"What has happened here is that due to a misinterpretation of the road width shown on the plan, in a few places the lines have come in further than was intended and we'll be looking to put it right as soon as we can. The road markings through East Boldre were agreed with the parish council after concerns about the speed of traffic through this New Forest village.

"They are the first stage of a traffic-calming scheme being developed with the parish council to lower traffic speeds to a level where a reduction of the speed limit to 30mph can be justified."

The corrections are due to be made today, depending on the weather, at no extra cost to the taxpayer said Marjorie Hooper, a spokeswoman for the contractors Raynesway Construction Southern.

New Forest district councillor Roger Neath added: "These things happen and as far as I understand this doesn't change the overall picture.

"Most of the lines will stay the same, it's only a couple of places where they have gone awry.

"It's been put in as a traffic-calming measure and it will remain so. We hope to slow the traffic as much as we can.''