TENBURY'S frailest and poorest citizens are being hit hardest by parking restrictions in the town, say residents.

Now campaigners have put together a petition of more than 200 signatures calling for more spaces and have proposed a meeting with Malvern Hills District Council (MHDC), the police and Tenbury Town Council for May 10.

Shopkeeper, Margaret Palmer of the Pet Shop said: "They are trying to promote the town and bring more people in but what's the point when they have to drive straight through?

"We would like to see a car park down the Market Street end of the town.

"People have difficulty parking to use the grocery shop, Bowketts, because it is too far to walk with heavy shopping, especially for the elderly," she added.

Burford pensioner, Norman Wanstall said he stopped outside the Spar, in Teme Street, for three minutes to post a letter, but was given a fixed penalty ticket, which cost him half his pension.

He said: "On market day it is chaotic around Bowketts with drivers parking on double yellow lines and anywhere else they can to find a space.

"On certain occasions it is possible to drive into the town and find nowhere to park, not even on the main area by the swimming pool.

Mr Wanstall suggested that the pay and display area behind the library be made a free parking site. "If an elderly person can't find a space in the town they should not have to walk all the way from the swimming pool in order to buy a newspaper," he maintained.

The manager of community transport scheme, Toc-H, Vince Taylor, said if people were struggling to walk from the swimming pool car park to the town, they really needed to apply for a disability badge.

He said: "I have heard of these problems before because the free car park is the furthest away.

"We use disability badges. When our passengers are disabled it is a godsend to have it. It is a superb way of getting partially active people in and out of shops."

Former district councillor, Alec Wall offered a solution, saying: "Malvern Hills District Council (MHDC) rate payers can buy an annual disc allowing parking for two hours several times each day.

"This now costs £8 to use any car park within MHDC. People in Burford and elsewhere can buy a disc for £15 a year allowing the same facilities.

"This works out at less than 10p to park three times a week for the whole year and half the cost of one fixed penalty ticket."