A YORK choir is warning that it will no longer give concerts in the city centre because of evening parking charges - and might even have to close down altogether.

The York Rose Singers is also appealing for new premises away from the centre, where members can rehearse without having to pay the City of York Council charges.

The choir's secretary Trevor Spencer has also claimed that many choir members who voted Liberal Democrat at the last election had vowed not to do so again at the next because of the party's "arrogant and dictatorial" attitude. "This single issue will be laid at their door at the next election," he said.

Mr Spencer said the choir had been based in York for 25 years and given concerts at various times in the city centre over that period -"which we will no longer be doing".

He said: "It costs our members, who come from all parts of the city and also from out of town, between £2.50 and £3.60 per week, in addition to our choir subs.

"We use the premises of Stagecoach Youth Theatre and hire the room from them which gives them a much needed income, and use the Lord Mayor's Walk car park. "We have approximately 40 rehearsals a year and these taxes are nearly more than twice our subs.

"Our ladies will not walk through York at night to use buses which are irregular and from some parts non-existent.

"Anyway, when you have a car why can you not use it at night, when there is no congestion in the city?

"It is causing us tremendous trouble and closing down is not beyond a possibility.

"We are now having to seek rehearsal rooms out of the city that they have priced us out of. Anyone with a spare room and a piano and parking space who could help please contact 01904 769275."

Coun Ann Reid, executive member for planning and transport on the Liberal Democrat administration, said that in a democratic society, people were entitled to vote whichever way they wanted at elections.

She said the council's Frequent User Pass could be of benefit to people such as members of this choir, and the authority was also looking at various additional schemes to help organisations affected by the charges, including a Night Out package.

A major review of charges would also be conducted in the autumn.

Updated: 10:41 Tuesday, July 13, 2004