HOPES of free parking in Thirsk market place due to seemingly faulty parking meters have been dashed by Hambleton District Council.

The district authority fitted the machines in October and they have a solar panel fitted to the top to power their batteries.

It was hoped the parking fees raised from them would help to fill a £450,000 budget blackhole that the district faced.

Recently members of Sowerby Parish Council, which borders Thirsk, spotted that several of the meters did not seem to be working.

They blamed the cold weather and the snow covering the solar panels and wondered what it meant for motorists.

A district council spokesman said: "The solar powered machines have been performing as usual in the winter conditions.

"In terms of special maintenance we do have to clear snow from the solar panels to ensure that they can operate to their optimum and keep the batteries well charged.

"In the exceptionally cold conditions the machines may run slightly slower, as can be the case with mechanical devices.

"Machines do stop working from time to time due to faults, which we are attending to as they arise.

"However we are not noticing significantly more faults or problems with the machines in the cold weather."

In the really cold weather ice has formed on the card slots and it is cleared when it is spotted by the parking officers.