Sir, I was so sad to learn last week that Frugal Food in Abingdon is to close.

A significant factor, blamed by owner Val Stoner for the decline of business and for the closure of other independent shops, is the lack of free parking in the town.

I recently spent a few weeks near Tring in Hertfordshire. This small town, in the shadow of nearby Aylesbury, grants free parking for the first hour. Might such a move be considered by our local authorities?

Thomas Bewley Oxford Road Abingdon