A CINEMA ticket has a whole new meaning when the lights go down in Tenbury.

Parking wardens have taken the gloss of the newly refurbished Regal to swoop on the cinema’s visitors on show nights.

Now, a Regal trustee has said “enough”.

Chris Davis called the ticketing “outrageous”

when the Regal was one of Tenbury’s top evening attractions.

“In most towns there is no charge for evening parking, I think it’s outrageous when we are trying to attract more people in the town to enjoy a great night out, he said.

Mr Davis can already count on support from town councillor Joe Watson who said the situation wasn’t helped by warning notices that weren’t clear.

Coun Watson said he found it “impossible to believe” the coincidence of tickets being issued when shows were on at the Regal.

“Can we assume that on those evenings when there is a major attraction at the Regal, visitors will be a target for parking tickets? It does not give a good impression, if I was someone from the trust trying to promote the town I would be pretty upset,” he said.

Officially, the car park in the town run by Malvern Hills District Council charges 24 hours a day, but it has been custom and practice for charges not to be enforced in the evening.

Councillor Tony Penn, who represents Tenbury on Malvern Hills District Council, said that decisions about when wardens visited was made by contractors and not the authority.

“It’s a very minimal charge for parking,” said Tony Penn.

He also believes that many people are fully aware that the parking charge applies around the clock and said that Malvern Hills District Council is “keen” to support the town’s evening economy.