A TOWN'S controversial and confusing disc parking system is to be scrapped.

At the moment, shoppers parking in the Accrington's free short stay car parks have to pick up a disc -- supposed to be widely available from town centre stores -- with a dial which is set to the time the car was parked.

Anyone parking for longer than the three hours allowed in these car parks could find themselves being fined by the town's parking wardens.

But visitors to Accrington have found the system confusing, and some shoppers have found it difficult to get hold of a disc so many have ended up with parking tickets.

In a review of parking in the town centre David Law, the council's traffic and transport manager, recommended retaining the scheme.

He said it was simple to understand and was also simple and cost effective to enforce.

If it was abandoned, he said, another parking warden would have to be hired, at a cost of £20,000 a year, to maintain a "reasonable level" of enforcement.

But leader of the council Peter Britcliffe disagreed and said the system was "silly" and was putting people off visiting the town centre.

At a meeting of the cabinet he said members wanted an end to the disc parking scheme.

He added: "People find the discs aren't available and we pay out a lot in signage.

"We don't accept it will cost another £20,000 to bring another warden in if we get rid of it.

We intend to extend the work of the ones we have got.

"The car parks will have to be monitored in the same way as on-street parking."

This was supported by the leader of the opposition Labour group, Coun David Myles.

He said: "The discs are very rarely there and people from out of town don't know the system.

"It is a very strange system and it is right we should get rid of it."

Disc restrictions will be lifted over the next few weeks, until then the disc scheme will remain in place.

Recommendations to extend waiting restrictions for some town's on-street parking were also approved by the cabinet following the review.