AROUND 3,000 people were charged for parking in Northwich's free car parks during the first year of council enforcement.

Between January 2014 and February 2015 a total of 2,968 motorists received tickets on town centre car parks, with a further 2,485 fined in roads or streets.

Northwich Town Council presented the information at its latest meeting after asking Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC) for the figures.

CWAC took over responsibility for parking enforcement in the former Vale Royal area in January 2014.

Cllr Brian Jamieson, from Northwich Town Council, said: "It's been in place for a year and what I would say is that in our free car parks almost 3,000 people received penalty notices for a range of reasons.

"People come to Northwich to shop and enjoy themselves thinking they've got free car parking and 3,000 finished up with a ticket."

The majority of fines were handed out in Northwich Market car park, in Chesterway, which totalled 958 penalty notices.

Victoria car park, off Crum Hill, saw 799 motorists ticketed while 545 people who parked in Barons Quay were fined.

Cllr Jamieson said: "The market car park is a very small car park and almost 1,000 tickets were issued on that car park.

"It's not particularly well marked and we have to discuss what the issues are.

"There's no parking on market days but someone parked in the market car park on Good Friday – the market was closed and the car park was empty – and when he came back he had a ticket on his car.

"That's what's happening."

He pointed out that many drivers had been justifiably fined but that it could be putting people off visiting the town.

"There are a total of 5,500 tickets and many are fully justified because people are parking on double yellow lines or in dangerous places," he said.

"54 per cent are in car parks, which is a bit of a worry."

He added: "I think there are so many tickets in car parks it must be deterring people from parking in Northwich."