A PUBLIC pay phone in the Hanley Road car park at Upton-upon-Severn has won a reprieve after the town council protested to BT about a plan to remove it.

But a move to get an extra ticket machine in the car park has been turned down by Malvern Hills District Council officers.

Town councillors had asked for an extra machine because the existing ones cannot cope with the demand during busy holiday or festival weekends and many visitors park free of charge because they simply cannot insert any more money.

Upton Mayor Eric White said he had been given an assurance that the machines would be completely emptied on Thursday evenings, but would not be emptied during the Easter weekend.

"If the machines are full and will not take money, there is nothing anyone can do," he said.