SHOPPERS can take advantage of free parking in Oswestry the run up to Christmas.

Oswestry Town Council has agreed to have free parking in its car parks for the three weekends leading up to Christmas in a bid to increase footfall.

The measure will apply to Central, Horsemarket and Smithfield car parks.

Oswestry Chamber of Trade had written to the council to ask for free parking after 2pm from December 11-24 inclusive.

Clerk David Preston told the latest Market and Town Centre Committee meeting that he had spoken to the chamber's chairman and any gesture councillors could make would be "very much appreciated".

Two and three-week options were considered, with the former set to cost the council £9,000.

Councillor Chris Schofield said that he hoped the free parking would bring more people into the town.

The council has launched a consultation on proposals to have free parking between 6pm and 8am, and to change parking charges from one to two-hour periods.

Cllr Paul Milner said that figures showed that around 40 per cent of people using town council car parks do so for an hour.

Cllr Mark Jones added that parking attendants had told him that they were "very keen to keep the hourly rate".