Parking in Croydon town centre will be a little bit cheaper for late night shoppers who are searching for the perfect Christmas gifts.

Drivers will be charged a flat rate of £1 to park in some of the town centre car parks between specified times each Thursday from November 13 throughout the festive season.

The park for a pound offer applies at:

Centrale shopping centre car park from 3pm onwards every Thursday from November 13 to January 1.

Whitgift centre surface car park between 3pm and 7pm every Thursday from November 13 to January 1.

Croydon Council’s West Croydon car park, Jubilee Bridge car park and Spices Yard car park between 3pm and 7pm every Thursday from November 13 to December 31 

Croydon Council’s Wandle Road car park from 4pm to 7pm every Thursday from November 13 to December 31.

The scheme has been organised by Croydon Business Improvement District (BID), and is supported by Croydon Council and the Whitgift and Centrale shopping centres.

Croydon BID chief executive Matthew Sims said: “Commencing as it does on the same afternoon as our Christmas lights switch on event, it’s a fantastic way to officially kick off the festive season here in Croydon and to give something back to the thousands of residents and people who come here to take advantage of all that Croydon has to offer.”

And the cabinet member for economic development Councillor Toni Letts said: “The council is always eager to support businesses at what is a really important time of the year for traders.

"We want to encourage as many people as possible to choose Croydon as a place where they can do their Christmas shopping, and discounted parking is a great way of helping people to do that."