FREE parking in Southend town centre this Christmas has been ag-reed by Southend Council as an early festive gift to beleaguered traders.

The move comes after pressure from small businesses who said Southend should follow the example of neighbouring Castle Point and Rochford Councils which are offering free parking on Saturdays over the festive period.

The council’s Lib Dem group also called for free Christmas parking to ease the burden this Christmas.

The council announced on Friday it would offer the seasonal boost to help shoppers and businesses stretch their Christmas cash as far as possible during the economic slowdown.

The free parking will be available on Sundays, from December 14 to January 4, at all the car parks in Southend town centre, plus the two in Leigh, and those at Thorpe Bay Broadway and Ceylon Road, Westcliff.

The same car parks will also be free after 3pm this Thursday and Thursday, December 18, as well as all day Saturday for the festive fun day.

Anna Waite, Southend’s councillor for transport, said: “In the current financial climate, we want to do all we can to support retailers in the town and encourage people to shop locally.

“We hope it will be a big help, giving people the opportunity of free parking in the run-up to Christmas.”