CONFUSED shoppers have been seen shaking their heads in Leigh's main car park.

They think they're in Leigh but when they take a look at their pay and display parking ticket they're not so sure!

"Thank you for shopping in Wigan" is the friendly greeting on the tickets issued by the machines at Leigh's Spinning Gate car park.

But the neat little message has angered Leigh shoppers and shopkeepers alike.

Angry traders' champion Gordon Jackson, chairman of Leigh Business Partnership, slammed the ticket wording:"It is disgusting, ridiculous! Now the Council is trying to hide our identity! It's something else being taken from us."

But a Council spokesman said:"We are sorry if somebody has been offended, but the explanation is quite reasonable.

"The firm that produces this type of pay and display ticket normally sells commercial advertising on them, reducing the cost to the council.

"If it is unable to sell advertising on a particular batch it prints a general message such as this one.

"Spinning Gate car park has different pay and display machines to other Leigh car parks and they are the same type as ones in Wigan. The vast majority of this kind of tickets are destined for machines in Wigan. It would not be cost effective on a small print run to produce a separate message for the one car park.

"It must also be remembered when tickets do carry an advert it could be for any facility across the borough. But to avoid any offence we will be asking our supplier on future batches to make clear is is the Borough which is being referred to."

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