CAR parking charges at Warrington Hospital are set to increase as part of a comprehensive review by North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

When the changes come into effect on September 18 it will cost £1 to park for up to three hours, £1.60 for more than three hours and £1 between 6pm and 7am.

There will be no charges for visitors or patients with disabilities and concessions are made for those who need to attend hospital over an extended period.

Mike Atkinson, head of hotel services, said: "Naturally the costs of running and maintaining the car parks have increased each year. We must maintain our income generated through car parking charges to ensure that money is not diverted from patient care."

During the trust's review, 15 acute trusts were contacted in the north west to compare charges, which indicated £1 was the minimum sum charged by other hospitals for parking.