LOYAL customers Cecil and Sarah Withers have pledged never to shop in Morrisons in Devizes again after receiving a parking ticket in the post.

Mr Withers, 69, and his wife, who live in Chirton, always do their big shop in the supermarket and are also frequent visitors to the café so when they followed their normal routine on November 8 they did not think any more of it.

But last week they received a letter in the post from Parking Eye demanding payment of an £85 fine. Mr Withers said: "I was outraged. I have been shopping in Morrisons, and Safeway before it, for about 30 years. We have spent thousands and thousands of pounds there over the years.

"I think the system needs to be changed. We did our shopping and went in the café and then we did pop to Sidmouth Street so I accept we were over the two-hour limit but it is a ridiculous situation and the two hours is not long enough."

In recent months many people who have received similar notices have taken to social media to complain about the system.

Mr Withers, who is vice-chairman of Chirton Parish Council and owns an electrical business, said: "This isn't about the money, it is about the principle of the thing. I paid the fine straightaway so it was reduced to £50 but we will not be shopping there anymore.

"We haven't got any shops in Chirton so we have to come into Devizes. I think in future we will go to Lidl."

Mr Withers, who has six children and 17 grandchildren, said he expected the rest of his family will also boycott Morrisons. He suggested that Morrisons should donate the fine money to charity.

Morrisons manager Chris Nicholas said he wished Mr Withers had come into the store after he received the fine notice. He said: "In these situations where people have used the shop and been in the café we can waive the fine.

"The two-hour limit was brought in to stop people who just use us to park all day. We wanted to make it easier for our customers to be able to get spaces.

"I have brought up with head office about the time limit being extended but it was decided that two hours should be sufficient to do a shop."

He said that the fine money went to Parking Eye so the company could not donate it to charity.