Alec Wall (Your Letters, February 4) is mistaken when he suggests that Malvern Hills District Council should decriminalise parking so the council can penalise people who park in our towns.

This policy would reduce the number of visitors to towns such as Tenbury Wells, where insufficient parking is available and where public transport is inadequate. If people cannot park in a town, they go elsewhere.

Easy parking is important if we are to attract shoppers and tourists, which is essential if our shops are to prosper. If small towns are to succeed, they must not penalise people who stay 'too long', since the longer they stay, the more they spend.

Even in rural areas, tourism often provides more jobs that agriculture, and we must welcome visitors, even if they cause some congestion.

Herefordshire may have made £23,608 out of penalising visitors to their towns, but the result will be fewer visitors.

Even if the much smaller MHDC area could make the same 'profit' this could only reduce the average council tax bill by about 2p per week.

The loss of tourists and shoppers would cost the area far more.

The council's job is to serve the residents - not to make money out of them!

Chris Dell, chairman, Tenbury Tourism Group, Teme Street, Tenbury Wells.