A charity car park in St Keverne is to be temporarily closed next month, with drivers warned to remove their vehicles beforehand or risk them being towed away.

Members of St Keverne Parish Council, which owns the car park in Lemon Street, just along from the village band room, were told that the same ten or so cars were there every day of the week.

However, takings for the car park – which is operated on an 'honesty box' basis, with fees distributed to charities and groups in the area – amounted to just £250 during the entirety of 2017.

Chairman Roger Richards said: “When you consider £250 for a whole year, if that’s one car parking there 365 days of the year that’s only 60p a day – but there are ten or more there every day.”

Councillor Jill Ludbrook said that over the Christmas period the car park was “very well used,” averaging only two spaces empty out of the 18 available when she checked on a few occasions.

Despite this, councillors were told that during the whole of December only £25 was collected in fees.

It was reported that councillor Derek Kevern, who manages the car park fee collections but was unable to make last week’s council meeting, believed that the sign about there being an honesty box should be moved to make the collection box easier to see. Councillor John Ough went one further by saying a new, bigger sign should be added.

Councillor Michael Anselmi also suggested flyers could be placed on the cars that were parked all day, advising them of the system, or alternatively setting a maximum parking period of say 12 hours.

Members agreed that the car park would be closed for a week in February for maintenance, with notices going up in advancing warning of this and stating cars must be removed in advance.

Councillor Sarah Lyne said: “All cars will hopefully be removed, if not we’ll have to remove them.”