AT LAST week’s Wyre Forest Dance Festival at Stourport Civic Hall, parents who noticed the small signs, took advantage of the free car parking, which was welcomed for those spending £4.80 a day for the week-long festival.

The organiser made an announcement at about 4pm reminding parents that the free period was ending.

One dismayed mother whom I saw – I should guess there were others – was stunned to have been given a parking ticket timed at one minute past 4pm!

How unwelcoming do the powers that be want to make visitors feel?

You would think the ticket warden would give people 10-15 minutes’ grace to get back to their cars.

Surely that would be reasonable as people are likely to slightly take their eye off the time if engrossed in playing with children in the fun areas, shopping, or as in this case, nervously watching their children perform on stage in front of an adjudicator.

At £25 per fine, it’s certainly a good way of making up for the losses on the day’s free parking, but somewhat defeats the object of encouraging people into Stourport.

Is the same policy executed on the free parking days in Kidderminster and Bewdley? If so, for many, far from being free they are extortionately expensive.

As a Wyre Forest council taxpayer, I was embarrassed by the swingeing lack of generosity displayed to our visitors, many of whom had come from outside the district, including Worcester and Cannock.

When the mum told her friend – the response was “It puts you off coming here”.

Need I say more!

Sarah Beadsworth

St John’s Avenue

Kidderminster