CARDIGAN Castle should be attracting customers to the town’s shops in their droves, but business taxes and high parking prices have prevented them from flourishing, according to a prominent local businessman.

Queen’s Bakery, run by Martin Radley, will feature in Huw Edwards: Datganoli 20 (S4C, Tuesday, 9.30pm) to mark 20 years of devolution, as the presenter returns to Cardigan for the first time in 10years.

As revealed in the programme, the town’s businesses were given a boost recently when parking machines were broken.

“A while ago, the parking machines were out of action and a lot more shoppers came to the town to shop leisurely, meet people, go into cafes,” said Mr Radley, who believes Ceredigion County Council does not provide enough assistance to business owners.

Short stay parking is nowhere near enough to take full advantage of what the town has to offer, he says.

“Sometimes, people wanting to come down and support the little local shops would put money in and would have to run around like George North on acid before the ticket ran out!” said Mr Radley.

“If they were given an hour, they could pay for another hour and have two.”