PAYING to park to shop – Lidl really has surprised its customers.

Paying for the privilege of picking up a few groceries is in store following the budget supermarket’s decision to introduce Draconian parking restrictions including a 10-minute free parking limit and an automated number plate recognition system at its Yate store.

Plus, to make the shopping experience ‘more pleasant’, Lidl has effectively handed responsibility of issuing parking fines to its checkout staff. Customers who do park for longer than 10 minutes must buy something in store and provide their registration number to the cashier otherwise a fine of up to £90 will be issued.

Now there is nothing to say these workers are not capable, reasonable and efficient but, when faced with a queue of umpteen bargain hunters all eager to finish their shopping faster than they would at a leading supermarket (that’s one of Lidl’s own promises to its customers), who is to say they won’t make a costly mistake?

We have already heard from numerous shoppers who claim they were never asked for their number plate but what if they have driven someone else’s car or can’t remember the registration off hand? And for anyone just browsing the budget chain’s weekly non-food offers, be warned, you are being forced into making a purchase or pay the price for window shopping.

The whole system in a car park rarely ever full is nothing short of crazy.