A MARKET boss has called on the council to offer free parking after nearly 800 motorists were fined for parking in one car park in five months.

A total of 772 cars parked on the Asda car park behind the market were issued with tickets from the beginning of March to the end of July.

Ellesmere Port Market secretary Brian Hannaway now says parking should be made free from the end of October until 2013 to give the town centre economy a boost.

He says some of the £1.5m given by M&S to improve the town as part of its deal to open a huge store should be given to the council to pay for the move.

He said: “It would be a gesture of goodwill. Nobody is coming into the town because of the roadworks.”

Mr Hannaway sits on the Town Centre Advisory Panel and says the idea has received support from fellow members – but not the council.

He added: “I watched on Thursday at 8.15am. A lady went to a meter, couldn’t get a ticket so went to the other one 60-70 yards away.

“A traffic warden put a ticket on the car. I shouted over to him and he just said ‘it’s OK, she can appeal’.”

Cheshire West and Chester Council spokeswoman Laura Johnson said: “In cases where a vehicle has no pay and display ticket, staff will observe the vehicle for a minimum of five minutes – a time considered sufficient for a customer to purchase a ticket.”

She insisted the 772 people ticketed represented 0.2 percent of the 400,000 users of the car park in the same period.

Miss Johnson added: “We already offer ‘free after 3’ provision in this car park. To provide free parking for a three-month period would lead to confusion with motorists, who may try to pay when they shouldn’t and then risk fines when parking charges are reintroduced and does not provide a long-term solution.

“The town centre manager is tasked with maximising the benefit of funds given to the council by Marks & Spencer and is now working with traders to highlight potential improvements, including parking issues, within the town and find long-term solutions.”