Shoppers are being encouraged to use free parking days and support local businesses in the run up to Christmas.

Carmarthenshire Council has approved requests from Ammanford, Llandeilo Llandovery, Llanelli and Carmarthen town councils to allocate free parking days throughout December for events.

Towns across Carmarthenshire are offered five free parking days to use as they wish from January to November every year, but the council's Cabinet has agreed to requests from some towns to extend these into December.

In Ammanford the free parking days are December 10, 17, 23, and 24; in Llandeilo they are December 11 and 18; in Llandovery they are December 10, 11, 17 and 18; in Carmarthen they are December 5, 12 and 19 and in Llandeilo they are Dec 4, 11, 18.

These are in addition to the usual free parking periods in short stay car parks already running throughout the year in Carmarthenshire towns.

The free parking days coincides with the launch of the first ever Christmas pop up shops as part of Carmarthenshire County Council’s 100% Sir Gâr initiative as a way of supporting local businesses to recover from a long period of lockdown and restrictions on retail.

The free pop up shops are located at the former Debenhams in Carmarthen and number 1 Stepney Street (next door to Andrew Price Hairdresser) and are open up until Christmas.

Carmarthenshire County Council Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Hazel Evans said: “We know how difficult the past year has been for our local businesses and that is why we have agreed to allow the three main towns to use their annual free parking day allocations during December if they wanted to as this month is usually excluded.

“We hope as many people as possible will take advantage of these extra days and support the pop up shops and our local town centre businesses during the festive season.”