CUSTOMER reaction to a new pay and display charge at a Blackburn supermarket has forced supermarket giants Morrisons to make changes to their charging policy.

After the car park opened as pay and display on March 15, shoppers had to spend a minimum of £5 to get a refund of £1 off their parking costs.

Now the firm say customer comments meant it altered the rules, meaning shoppers need only spend £1 to get a £1 refund. But the supermarket firm denies it is disappointed by the public's reaction to the policy.

A spokesman for Morrisons said: "We did receive comments from customers and have listened to them. The result is we have changed the arrangement for the tariffs.

"We are more than happy with the system. It's certainly not a disappointment."

When the pay and display system was brought in, customer feelings were mixed. One shopper, Maureen Dickinson, 50, of Prospect Avenue, Blackburn, was using the car park last week. She said: "I spend at least £150 a month there. I come in every day for my lunch as well. I will not come here for my lunch any more because I will have to spend even more on parking."

Previously customers using the car park were given a ticket upon entry, which they handed to an attendant on the way out to pay. But customers often left the car park for free, when there was no attendant.

Now the store is clamping down on parking, with the pay and display system, but Morrisons refused to reveal whether sales had suffered as a result.

A spokesman said: "We don't actually monitor numbers of cars, but customers have commented that it is easier to park. There are spaces for them and that is the important thing for us."

Raymond Goldstone, president of the Blackburn and District Chamber of Trade, said: "It could be it has affected attendance a bit. People are very reluctant to pay for something they can get for free elsewhere."