On Saturday I went to Brighton’s Churchill Square to do shopping and go to the cinema.

We spent about six-and-a-half hours in Brighton and imagine our surprise to be faced with a £25 parking charge because we spent more than six hours in Churchill Square!

I was totally shocked that a shopping centre could charge that much for just over six hours parking which on a Saturday is probably about the average time a person will spend out and about.

I sent an email of complaint to Churchill Square and the response I got was that they had new parking charges and that they were trying to encourage short term parking, ie four hours.

Now this I can believe for week days as it discourages people who work in Brighton from parking for long periods but at the weekend I find it hard to believe that they are discouraging people from staying for longer periods and spending money in the shopping centre.

The daily rate starts from six hours onwards which I find totally disgusting in a time when high streets are failing and shops are going into administration.

These parking costs mean that the average person is priced out of a day out in Brighton and will add to the demise of the high street.

By parking in Churchill Square we are filling the pockets of the fat cats that run them.

I for one will not be parking there again and will most probably not visit Brighton again for a long while!

Julia Hames, Torridge Close, Worthing