A NEWTON Abbot butcher's initiative to beat the credit crunch is already catching on with other shopkeepers. Neil Lucy, of Queen Street Butchers, came up with the idea to pay on-street parking for 20 minutes, costing 40p, for his customers if they spend at least £10. The incentive is detailed on a poster which has been displayed in the window of his town centre shop since Tuesday – and at least two other Queen Street stores have followed suit. NELC Discount Electrical Spares and Accessories are providing their customers with the same offer, while the poster in the window of the Newton Abbot Kitchen and Bedroom Centre states that it will pay on-street parking 'while we plan your kitchen'. Mr Lucy explained the thinking behind the idea: 'People were moaning about paying parking outside the shop, so I thought I'd check the minimum amount you can pay on the meter and pay that for them. 'With business being a bit quiet – it doesn't help having so many big supermarkets in the area, plus we've got Lidl coming soon [in Kingsteignton] – we had to do something to boost trade. 'We only started doing it this week so it's hard to tell how much of a difference it has made so far, but if the rest of the traders do the same, I think it will help.' Newton Abbot Town development manager Sally Henley has thrown her support behind t initiative. 'It's fantastic that Neil has come up with a way of helping his customers beat the credit crunch,' she said. 'The attraction of shopping in Queen Street has always been the ability to "pop and shop", with plenty of short stay, on-street parking. 'For busy people who are keen to support their local businesses, on-street parking is a huge bonus and Neil's incentive will add just a little more of an enticement.' Ms Henley believes even more traders will jump on the bandwagon. 'I have spoken to many other businesses in Queen Street, and I think that Queen Street Butchers may have set a trend, as many of them are keen to show their support for this free parking idea,' she added. 'I think that over the next few days more of these striking posters might be popping up on shop windows.' Mr Lucy is relying on the honesty of his customers as he aims to make the idea a success, and he warned those looking to 'try it on': 'We can normally tell whether people are telling the truth or not because we see them park their cars.'