Businesses in Chudleigh are losing 30 per cent of their trade because overzealous council 'enforcement officers' are handing out £75 fines willy-nilly. That was the claim made in Forde House on Monday by Cllr Ray Frost, the Teignbridge authority's deputy leader and member for Chudleigh and Hennock. He said that since May, when Teignbridge had taken on the job on behalf of Devon County Council, officers had been handing out tickets to drivers who stopped for just a few moments. He told members of the executive committee: 'I have had comments and complaints from traders in Chudleigh that 30 per cent of trade is being lost. 'Where people just park for five minutes for a loaf and paper they are getting ticketed immediately. 'It was always allowed. 'I can't believe this is unique to Chudleigh. We need to be even-handed on this.' Sue Edwards, the officer in charge of parking, said police had asked her to pay attention to parking in rural areas but denied her officers would book drivers straight away. 'We are mindful that people are trying to make a living,' she said. The councillor responsible, Cllr Gordon Hook, said the approach was not 'draconian' but that he could add little to what had been said. 'I do think we need to encourage local trade,' he said. After the meeting, the chairman of the Chudleigh Business Guild, postmaster Eddie Haws, said he understood that enforcement officers were obliged to follow the rules and he called for a way forward. 'Although I've not suffered myself several people have complained,' he said. 'Something we've seen in many other places are car parking ticket machines which offer free parking for the the first 20 minutes. 'We've got a very good car park here and if people knew they could stay there for a brief time not only would it get the cars off Fore Street but help us keep the trade. 'Perhaps we also need some additional short-term bays in Fore Street, there seem to be plenty of loading bays. 'When we had all the roadworks here drivers were parking really where they wanted and everything was fine. 'I think that's the problem, people just got used to it. 'Now when the officers appear everyone jumps in their cars and the place dies.'