Parking in Petersfield and Alton will be free of charge on Saturday, December 13 as East Hampshire District Council kickstarts the countdown to Christmas with support for small businesses.

The council is making all its car parks free to use all day to encourage people to visit the town centres and to boost the local economy.

Cllr Robert Mocatta, portfolio holder for regeneration and prosperity, said: “Giving away a day of parking is a fantastic Christmas present for shoppers and local businesses.

“Christmas is vital for our small businesses who need to make the most of this period - it’s a huge part of their annual turnover.

“Anything we can do to encourage more people into our high streets on this crucial shopping day could make all the difference to those businesses.

“There are wonderful independent shops and national stores all round East Hampshire and if we want to keep them we need to use them.

“Get out and shop local this Christmas and keep our town centres vibrant.”

The council’s partner Norse South East will be giving Petersfield and Alton extra street cleaning in the run up to the festive season.