Extra car parking has been arranged for Harpenden during Saturdays in the run-up to Christmas.

Shoppers and visitors will be able to use a temporary car park at Rothamsted Research in West Common on the edge of the town centre. It has around 300 spaces.

It will be open from 9am to 6pm on every one of the five Saturdays from November 26 to December 24 to help cope with the Christmas rush. There will be a flat charge of £4 no matter the length of stay.

St Albans City and District Council and Rothamsted Research have worked together to provide extra capacity during the busiest time of the year.

As part of the agreement, money raised from the venture will be donated to the Mayor of Harpenden, Councillor Nicola Linacre’s two charities: the Tyler Reader Brighter Future Fund and Youth Talk.