DEBENHAMS is extending its free parking campaign to encourage shoppers into Colchester town centre.

The department store has been offering free parking in Colchester, and the offer was due to finish last Sunday.

However, it has announced due to the popularity of the scheme, the offer will now run until Christmas Eve.

The campaign sees the retailer pick up the cost of two hours of parking when shoppers spend £50 in store.

Shoppers need to produce a photo or ticket at the till as proof of parking, for the cost of two hours parking to be deducted from what they buy.

Store manager Andrew Ward said: “Parking woes have been a pressure point in the region for a long time, so we are delighted that we are able to do our bit to encourage shoppers to hit the high street right up until Christmas Eve.

“We hope shoppers will not only ‘do a bit of Debenhams’ but also meet with family and friends and rediscover everything that is going on along their high street.”

To help shoppers get into the Christmas spirit, Debenhams has created festive markets in stores which take inspiration from the famous markets of Europe.

The specially designed area features a series of carefully curated gift collections.

Mr Ward added: “We know Christmas shopping can be stressful but with our free parking scheme and new markets, we hope we can bring a bit of festive cheer.”

Shoppers can also benefit from free parking on key shopping days in the lead up to Christmas.

Parking charges have been waived in all Colchester Council-owned town centre car parks from 3pm on the Wednesdays in the lead up to Christmas, with the last being this coming Wednesday.

Many town centre boutique and big-name stores will be open until 9pm on these nights.

To find out more about the parking offer visit bit.ly/2P23kIE