THE Aldi supermarket chain has this week cleared the way for its customers to have free parking when they shop at its Romsey Store.

After a long spell of allowing the general public to have two hours' free parking, the company announced late last month that it would be charging everyone £1 for an hour, £2 for two hours and £20 for two to 24 hours. People spending £15 or more would be able to recoup a £1 parking fee.

The problem was that the free parking had become so popular that Aldi's own customers were sometimes unable to find a space.

But just a fortnight into the new charging system, its director of store operations Jochen Vogel announced: "We have decided that every customer spending £1 or more can park for free for one hour. The £15 minimum spend will no longer apply."

He explained that when shoppers produce their parking tickets at the check-outs, they will be eligible for a £1 refund.

Following the introduction of charges at the previously packed car park, there was a vast increase in the number of empty spaces.

Aldi's Romsey store is one of of its fastest-growing outlets in the UK, the company said it will be continuing to monitor the situation in the hope that it has found the right balance.