A Witney supermarket is getting tough with people overstaying its two-hour free parking limit because of increasing pressure on town centre spaces.

Sainsbury's, in Witan Way, has employed a warden to hand out £40 fines after discovering spaces were being used all day by commuters working in either Witney or Oxford.

Shoppers were queuing for as long as 20 minutes during the busy Christmas period, when two building projects cut the amount of parking available in the town.

Construction of the southern section of the West End Link Road meant 100 spaces at the Welch Way car park had to be closed, although extra spaces were provided at the next-door former Marriotts Close football ground.

Extension work at Sainsbury's meant about 20 per cent of its 494 spaces were out of action. With this work complete, the car park's capacity is now 464 vehicles. Store spokesman Peter Golds said: "Our priority is customers before the rest of Witney.

"Before Christmas it became quite clear that the car park was being used by commuters catching buses into Oxford or walking into work."

The store was given permission by West Oxfordshire District Council to issue fines. The power will expire in the spring, but the store could apply to continue the system.

Mr Golds said a large number of tickets were given out on the first day, but only three the following day.

He said: "On the whole, two hours to go shopping in Sainsbury's and perhaps visit a few other shops is enough, but we can't be responsible for commuters and local businesses with no car parking."

District councillors recently called for a park-and-ride site to be built in Witney, possibly at the proposed Curbridge North development.