Free parking for the first hour will continue to be given in Helston throughout August.

The scheme was introduced by Helston Town Council in June, to help customers come in to the town while Meneage Street was shut to traffic for three weeks to aid social distancing.

The road reopened on July 11 but the first hour of parking in the Trengrouse Way and Tyacke Road car parks continued for the rest of the month.

Now the council has decided to extend it during August also.

Mayor John Martin said: "Helston Town Council has decided to continue to fund the ‘First Hour Free' facility at our two Cornwall Council town centre car parks at Trengrouse Way and Tyacke Road, until the end of August.

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"The councillors believed that this was worth continuing to support the town’s businesses, residents and visitors during this busy summer period."

Anyone parking in the two car parks should continue to buy a ticket as normal and take the receipt issued by the ticket machine with them into town to have the 60p cost refunded at a number of shops, which display signs in the window.

It is also possible to buy a ticket for a longer time and have the first hour still refunded.

Due to a delay in the shops claiming reimbursement from the town council the most up to date figures for how many tickets have been claimed back to date are not known.

However, at the last meeting of the town council, on July 16, town clerk Chris Dawson said that at that time the town council had refunded 280 tickets up to the previous Sunday.