A YORK tourism boss says it is vital that new overnight parking charges are not enforced - or increased.

The Evening Press revealed last night how City of York Council had imposed a nominal ten pence charge for parking in car parks after 9pm, although motorists would not be fined for failing to buy a ticket.

The council said the new charge was purely a legal device to oil the wheels if the authority wanted to impose larger charges later on.

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of York Tourism Bureau, said today that free car parking acted as an incentive for both residents and visitors to enjoy the city in the evenings, and the bureau was disappointed by the introduction of evening charges.

"It is very important therefore that the 10p overnight charge is not enforced as this could cause bad feeling amongst our visitors," she said.

"Furthermore we would be totally against the introduction of increased overnight charges. Hotel car parking space for visitors to York is limited and many hotels rely on city car parking for their guests to park overnight."

David Brooks, general manager of the Dean Court Hotel, in Duncombe Place, where double yellow lines will soon be painted, said evening and night parking charges were in total contradiction of council support for the city's evening economy.

Graham Audus, spokesman for Fossgate Traders' Association, said: "The council seem to have the mentality that all the people coming to York are visitors, but people that live at Clifton Moor or Huntington will use the city centre parking facilities too."

City centre shop letter Andrew Hedley, of Blacks Property Consultants, said there was no shortage of demand from firms interested in York.

But he said: "The city centre needs to be able to compete with out of town on equal terms. If cars are not wanted in the city centre, then let's have the new Park and Rides open quickly."

Elsewhere in the Yorkshire region, motorists pay £1.50 an hour between 6pm and 11.30pm in one Hull city centre car park, while other car parks and street parking in the city are free from 6pm.

In Leeds, street parking is free after 6pm, and reduced charges of about 50p for four hours operate in some pay and display car parks.

Updated: 08:33 Tuesday, March 16, 2004