CHESHIRE East Council is being urged to follow a Lake District council’s example by modifying its car parking machines so people don’t have to tap in their registration number.

The call comes from Knutsford resident Scott Martin, who sent the Guardian a picture of a parking machine in the Lake District which had been modified so a registration number was not required.

The machine is at Waterhead at the Ambleside end of Lake Windermere, one of the top attractions in the Lake District.

Coronavirus cases are on the increase in Cheshire East and across the country, and Mr Martin said he avoided the Cheshire East car park at Booths supermarket because of the need to tap in his registration number.

He said he had seen elderly people struggling to key in their registration numbers on the very small buttons, and parked on the street if he could.

He said: “The same problem existed in South Lakeland. However the council responded and modified the machines.

“To pay cash at Waterhead you put the coins in, press the green button and you get your ticket.

“Why Cheshire East doesn’t do this baffles me, particularly in the Covid-19 environment we are living in.

“We have parked at Booths, but typing in the car registration has put us off.

“I have a little bit of metal to press the buttons, but try to avoid going into the car park and try and park on the street.

“You see all these elderly people in the car park bending down at the parking machine, struggling with their glasses.

“The numbers are tiny little buttons, they are struggling to get the car registration in and then they get one digit wrong; it is quite stressful for them.

“The pandemic seems to be going back to its bad state at the moment, and Cheshire East has known about this issue for ages.

“It’s very simple – if the South Lakes council can modify their machines why can’t Cheshire East?”

Cheshire East Council has been asked for a comment.

The council said on its website: "We ask for vehicle registration numbers to stop people passing unused tickets to other drivers.

"If you put only part of your number in, you could get a penalty charge notice (ticket)."