CHARGES in some of Hartlepool's car parks may be doubled.

Borough councillors are being asked to approve a series of new charges, which officers claim will still make Hartlepool one of the cheapest places in the region to park.

It has been suggested the changes could release an extra £40,000 a year for improvements in car parks including re-surfacing and new ticket machines.

If the charges are agreed, the price of parking in the town centre multi-storey will double from 20p for two hours to 40p. Charges for the other town centre square car parks would change for those parking for more than three hours.

Currently, drivers pay 70p for every hour over three, but that could be replaced with a £1.50 charge for four hours and £5 for more than five hours.

Ian Parker, the council's head of highways and transportation, said: "I believe the charges proposed still offer visitors very good value and they will enable us to build upon the investment we have already attracted, to carry out further improvements to our car parks."

The proposal will be considered on Tuesday.