A LEADING vet has warned his firm may pull out of town amid mounting anger in the Kidderminster business community over a car parking crisis.

Graeme Shepherd, a partner at the Comberton Place surgery of Charn-ock, Gough and Shepherd, said plans to turn the parking area his firm uses into a short-stay council car park would create serious problems for clients.

Mr Shepherd has joined a growing band in the working community alarmed at a lack of attention to the special needs of businesses which they believe will be aggravated by raised parking charges.

Protesters include Mike Saxon, chairman of the Kidderminster Town Centre Partnership retail group and manager of Boots, who described Wyre Forest District Council as "hell bent" on adding to Kidderminster's parking problems.

Other big retailers complained about lack of information on parking plans while developers are at work on the new town centre.

Today the district council will discuss proposed increases in charges and parking during the transitional stage of the development and beyond.

But Mr Shepherd is pessimistic. He says requests for a designated area for the firm's customers and 12 staff have drawn a blank.

He said: "It will be a real problem for pet owners dropping off animals and farmers popping in to pick up drugs. Some have to visit three times a day.

"It is ironic because 30 years ago it was the council that asked us to move here to serve the cattle market.

"They seem to have a fixation on short stay parking and there is no middle way. They are driving away local businesses and we would be forced to move."

Mr Saxon, who has 60 staff at Boots, predicted people coming to work would try to park in residential streets to find spaces and avoid charges.

"Trade is already depressed and this will just encourage shoppers to go to Merry Hill where parking is free. The council should rethink its strategy.

At present it seems hell bent on creating more problems than there are already."

Frustrated Wilkinson store manager Robert Hyde said: "There are massive changes going on and we think we should be put in the picture but we have had no notice of anything."

Deputy manager of Iceland next door Ian Haggart said: "It would be nice if the council gave us some information.

"Surely they are interested about whether shoppers can park because if they can't, they won't come here."

On the vets practice's problem, district council head of cultural leisure and commercial services Andrew Dickens said: "We will talk to anybody about problems. It is difficult to reach a balance with car parking. The short stay park scheme at Comberton is to ensure a turnover of spaces for local retailers who could suffer from long-stay parkers migrating from town or generated by the new magistrates' court."

Designated spaces were not the answer because the public take little notice and they are difficult to police. He said he hoped there would be a cheap stay scheme, however.

Council leader Mike Oborski said: "We will be circulating plans as widely as possible after we meet today. Nothing will be finalised until February so there will be a chance to pick up comments and suggestions.

"But the overall message is there is no solution to the immediate problem in town.

"I appreciate the concern expressed but we cannot consult until we have a package."