PAY and display car parks

will become a thing of the past in Worcester over the next five years.

It will be replaced by a system called walk and pay, where, instead of predicting how long they will be parked for, paying for a ticket and displaying it in their car, motorists will take a ticket and pay when they leave the car park.

A similar scheme is used in the car parks of the Worcestershire Royal Hospital, as well as in public car parks

in many other towns and cities around the country.

The move was suggested in Worcester's spending plan for 2006 to 2011, which was agreed at a full city council meeting at the Guildhall.

Councillor Robert Rowden was one of those who backed the move.

"Walk and pay is a good idea," he said. "It's not only sensible but safer.

"Thieves are more likely to try to steal a car if they know the owner won't be back for five hours than if he or she could be back at any time."

The walk and pay method stops people rushing around Worcester as they near the end of their predicted parking time limit and also means anyone without coins for the parking meter has time to obtain the change before paying.

It also avoids users over paying, as can currently happen if drivers think they will be parked for longer than they actually are.