DROITWICH shoppers keen to make the most of town centre stores in the lead up to Christmas will have a bit of a boost to their shopping budget, with a discount off car parking from Wychavon District Council.

The council is making the move in a bid to support the local economy and Christmas events taking place across the district in town centres from the end of November.

As a result in Droitwich, parking will be free after 3pm in all car parks on Saturday, November 29 for the official town Christmas lights switch on event, and on Saturday, December 13, it will be only 20p for three hours worth of parking in any of the town centre’s short stay car parks.

Phil Merrick, head of community services at Wychavon District Council, said: “Supporting our towns at Christmas is really important. We have some fantastic shops on the high streets, offering gifts of all kinds and we also support marvellous events to celebrate the festive season. There are so many reasons to come and shop locally and providing parking more cheaply, or free, is just one of them.”

Similar discounts are being provided in Pershore, Evesham and Broadway to tie in with their community Christmas events.

Mr Merrick added: “It’s also worth mentioning that December 6 is Small Business Saturday, when we’re encouraging people to support small businesses of all kinds throughout the district. We hope residents and visitors will get behind this national campaign.”