A UNIFORMED parking attendant directing cars round a one-way system and noting numbers and times of arrival and departure last week angered some customers at the Lydney Co-op store.

Among people complaining to the Review were Dave Slater of St Briavels, who sought the store's manager after he had been confronted by the woman attendant and told to follow arrows instead of heading for the nearest parking space.

"I'm afraid I refused and drove past her to the parking bay. It actually raised cheers from some of the bystanders," he said.

"More sinister I thought was the fact she was noting down car numbers and details with the times vehicles arrived and left. Isn't that an invasion of privacy? I mean, I have no way of knowing how that information is to be used and whether or not it will find its way into the hands of a third party. Who's to say lawyers wouldn't use it to check up if I'd come to Lydney to see a mistress?

"I put that to the manager but I didn't get the reassurances I wanted. He said it was all to make sure people didn't use the store car park to leave their cars and go to work elsewhere. I told him I thought it was petty bureaucracy gone mad.

"People were getting pretty mad about being told where to go and having their numbers taken. But it's not the girl's fault, I realise...it's the job she's been given."

A spokesperson for The Midcounties Co-operative said: "We provide the car park for the convenience of Midcounties customers, including spaces for the disabled and parents with their children. We apply a 90-minute time limit so that our customers can comfortably complete their shopping.

"At times some of the spaces have been taken up by people who leave their vehicles there all day. So to ease that situation we have introduced an attendant. Not only does the attendant ensure there are enough spaces for customers but they ensure drivers are using the one-way system in the right way; there have been instances where people have gone in the wrong direction."