A few weeks ago we visited our daughter, who lives in the market town of Witney in Oxfordshire.

The first thing I noticed was how busy it was, no boarded up shops, no shops to let, and this was an ordinary Tuesday afternoon.

In the centre of town is a Waitrose and also a Morrisons. Out of town is a Lidl, a Sainsbury’s and a Tesco, but all the independent shops were all doing a lot of business.

I asked my daughter what Witney’s secret is and she replied that every car park, whether multi-storey, off street or on street, is and always has been free, day and night.

I know we have some of the cheapest car parking charges in west Dorset but please don’t kill the goose that lays the golden egg.

Don’t start charging for on street parking – it would be the thin end of the wedge that would drive shoppers to other towns.

They might still have to pay to park but they would have a larger variety of shops than Bridport has to offer.

Peter Pinker Wellfields Drive Bridport