Parking has just got a bit easier for Saundersfoot shoppers and Pembrokeshire's carers, thanks to a little help from local MP Simon Hart.

Traders in the town got in touch with the MP to tell him that stricter enforcement of parking rules meant that shoppers were being driven away from the village. Carers and employment agencies also asked him for help because workers were getting tickets when they made brief stops to tend to clients.

Mr Hart got onto the National Park and County Council and now extra free spaces are being created in Saundersfoot and carers could be set to get special parking permits.

Andrew Evans from Saundersfoot's St Brides Spa Hotel said, "If you look around, the whole village is covered in double yellow lines and they were ticketing everybody.

"The problem wasn't so bad in the winter when we only have about 2,000 residents but in the summer that goes up to about 26,000 so it was getting really bad."

Financial consultant Gareth Dewhurst who also runs Blooms and Beverages tea room in the village contacted Simon's office.

"There was very little short term parking so everyone was leaving the village to shop; the post office, the butcher, everyone was affected," he said.

Mr Hart lobbied the National Park which runs the Regency Hall car park and they have responded by increasing the amount of free half-hour shopper's spaces by 50%.

"At the moment there are eight "30 minutes-free" spaces in the car park for shoppers and the National Park has agreed to up this to twelve which is great news," he said.

"They have recognized the need to support the local shops and I hope that the County Council may follow their lead and do the same in other towns that have been hard hit by civil parking enforcement."

Mr Hart was also asked for help by carers who were finding it impossible to carry out their jobs without getting multiple tickets.

"The problem was especially bad in Tenby but there were examples of carers all over the south of the county getting tickets whilst they were providing help for the elderly," said Mr Hart.

Pembrokeshire County Council is now looking into giving care workers special permits to allow them to park in resident parking bays.

"I think this sounds like an excellent common-sense solution to what was a big problem;" said Mr Hart. "The carers are only popping in but they have to do it on a daily basis without fear of getting a parking ticket each time they visit."