Leominster councillor John Thomas has plucked the word subsidiarity from Eurospeak in the latest desperate bid to keep the town's prized all-free parking attraction.

The county council is on course to levy charges at one Leominster car park ranging from 20p for one hour to £1 for over three hours.

Leominster's man had his Euro weapon ready in a killer question aimed at the county's cabinet member for the environment, Christopher Grover, at a meeting of the full Herefordshire Council last Friday.

"Are you prepared to enter into a contract with Leominster Town Council in meeting its aims to retain free parking in the town, thus allowing subsidiarity to a town where the local parish council is prepared to put its money where its mouth is?" asked Mr Thomas.

"No", came the reply.

It was the second refusal in Mr Thomas's bid to do a deal and 'buy off' the county council in the row parking charges row.

He said time was running out. The county council now looked set to confirm a scale of charges at Leominster's Central Area Car Park in line with those in other towns as part of its Countywide Parking Strategy.

Pending a last ditch attempt by Leominster members of the county council to win some sort of deal at a June meeting of the council, the likely charges at the central car park beginning this summer will be: 20p one hour, 50p two hours, 70p three hours and £1 for more than three hours.