A WINSFORD fish and chip shop owner wants a council re-think on double yellow lines, which he says are ruining town centre trade.

Les Manning says patrons dropping into Les’ Fish Bar takeaway in the shopping centre have returned to their car to find £70 parking tickets slapped on the windscreen.

The 56-year-old has racked up £140 in fines alone since January and says the parking restrictions in the service area behind his shop also hamper people donating items to a nearby charity store.

“We’ve had a few customers that have come that have had a ticket and told us that they won’t be coming back,” said Les, who set up the business 30 years ago.

“Imagine coming in for 99p chip bap and it ending up costing £70?

“It’s affecting our trade and the butchers, as well as the bank, and the flower shop.

“People are getting tickets when they’re stopping to drop items off at the charity shop.

“They’re so aggressive in handing them out. I’ve had four just while servicing my own shop.

“At lunch time we used to have queues out the door. That’s disappeared now. We’re still busy but not like we used to be.”

Les has bumped into former patrons around town who’ve told him that the lines are deterring them from visiting.

After working hard to build up his business, Les has twice sold the enterprise – encouraged on both occasions by parking changes to the centre he thought were deterring trade.

Now he thinks the same mistakes are being repeated.

“The last time I left was because they were ruining the town centre.

“Every single government report that comes out says that parking restrictions are hurting the town centre.

“I just don’t see why they have to be so aggressive with the ticketing.

“It would be great if we could replace the lines here with 15-minute waiting zones. It’d give people the chance to go to the bank, pick up their food or help the charity shop, before getting on their way and not getting stung with a fine.”

A council spokesman said: “This is a service road to allow safe and immediate access for emergency vehicles as well as deliveries to all the shops in the Winsford Cross shopping centre. Allowing cars to park in this area would hinder such movements.

“We would encourage patrons of Les’s Fish Bar to park their vehicles in a safe manner and not in contravention of the Highway Code.

“With regards to the charity shop donations, loading and unloading of bulky goods is permitted on double yellow lines in accordance with the Council’s  Civil Parking Enforcement rules.”