A ROW over a parking ticket could trigger the loss of site sponsorship for Darlington Borough Council.

The owners of an art gallery are so angry about a customer's £60 penalty fine they say they will think hard about renewing contracts for sponsoring two council roundabouts.

Instead, the "thousands of pounds" Gallerina puts into council coffers could be used to create a customer car park behind its Duke Street premises.

The proprietors said recently-introduced parking charges in Duke Street and other roads were having a major impact on small firms. A number of businesses are said to be considering relocating.

Richard Hindle and Gwen Brown were furious when their customer - who only popped in to collect some art work as a surprise gift - received the £60 fine.

"He was over the moon with his purchase," said Mr Hindle. "Shopping with us had created a feelgood factor.

"Within seconds, he had a £60 penalty ticket in one hand and the artwork in the other. Talk about Merry Christmas!

"I did not want anything to spoil the event so I said I would pay the fine. He was embarrassed but I insisted.

"So the fact that we sponsor roundabouts and paid for murals on High Row grates a bit just now.

"We attract customers from all over the country and this is how we are treated.

"We are putting money back into the community. It costs us thousands to sponsor the council sites and we can only do that because of the loyalty of our customers."

Ms Brown said: "We can't remove the roundabout signs which are in place, but we will look at whether it is sensible for us to renew the contracts when the time comes.

"We have a limited budget and are proud that we are able to make this contribution.

"But it might be more sensible for us to use the money to create a car park behind the gallery.

"The parking charges are a bee in everyone's bonnet. Other small firms are saying their businesses are being badly hit by this. Some are talking about relocating because of the difficulty clients have in getting in and out of town and parking."

Mr Hindle said Gallerina was losing business because of the changes.

"Some customers this week wanted to browse but when we said they would have to get a parking ticket, they left. People are now weighing up whether it is worth paying the fee," he said.

He said many out-of-town customers did not realise they had to pay to park as the nearest meter was some way away.

The couple are also angry at what they feel is lax patrolling of yellow line parking on the other side of Duke Street, with some vehicles staying hours at a time.

The council and police say most of the cars parked on the other side are entitled to be there as disabled badge holders.

The council said the parking charge scheme had been well- publicised. "There are not many towns theses days where you can park in the centre with no payment or time limit," added a spokesman.