FREE car parking in Bromsgrove in the run-up to the festive season could be banished to Christmas past by next year.

Scrooges on Bromsgrove District Council's executive cabinet discussed ending the yearly free parking, which shoppers enjoy on the three Saturdays before Christmas.

They even considered abolishing it this Yuletide but decided it was too short notice, as the concessions were due to start last Saturday - just three days after the meeting on Wednesday.

John Moody, the council's head of community safety engineering, suggested councillors consider stopping the scheme on two grounds. Firstly, the loss of between £10,000 and £12,000 revenue and second, the negative effect on the best use of limited spaces for shoppers and traders.

Councillor Roger Hollingworth (Alvechurch) said if the decision was up to him, he would stop the scheme immediately. "I agree with Mr Moody. People abuse the free parking scheme. They park up and then go shopping elsewhere," he claimed.

However, deputy leader Cllr Margaret Taylor disagreed. "It may be that by offering free parking, we are actually bringing people into the town. That is what we should be encouraging people to do," she said.

"Other towns give their people free parking in the run-up to Christmas and I would support the recommendation that we continue with it, especially this year and maybe next year." The Tory cabinet agreed the scheme would continue this year but they would consider abolishing it for Christmas 2004.