Hundreds use at-risk Bridgnorth park and ride in one day

It has been estimated by the Bridgnorth Chamber of Commerce that the shoppers brought at least an estimated £2,000 to retailers over the course of the day.

But the service, which has been running for four years, is under "severe" threat of closing down due to lack of funding.

Having started the park and ride service in 2015, the town's Chamber of Commerce subsidised the service for the first two years before introducing a £2 per car parking fee to help pay for the use of the car park, owned by Nock Deighton, and the use of the minibuses from Bridgnorth Endowed School.

Steve Robbins, chairman of the chamber, said Saturday was the latest example of where 200 passengers would have otherwise gone elsewhere.

He said: "A lot of people say to us that they only come to Bridgnorth because of the park and ride, so it's 200 people the town wouldn't have had otherwise.

"Even if they each spend just £10, that's a couple of grand coming in straight away.

"Parking in the town is not great, everyone that lives or visits the town can see that so the park and ride service is vital in keeping people visiting our town.

"The amount we're asking for is trivial, £2.50 a week – we need to get the message across and convince people we absolutely aren't making a profit on this and it's costing us dearly at the moment."

The chamber said it is issuing one last plea to traders to help support the service before it holds its next meeting in the coming weeks.

It said it might "have to make a very difficult decision" should the time come where it can no longer put funds into running the service.

Mr Robbins added that the chamber is still paying the final few thousand pounds from the £45,000 costs incurred at the public enquiry over the Old Smithfield development.