A COUNCIL has been accused of profiteering over a major charity event.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council has been criticised by former Portland mayor Sandy West for making money on the back of the Midnight Walk by charging participants to park their cars at the Pavilion.

The fourth annual sponsored walk – in which nearly 1,000 women marched to raise cash for Weldmar Hospicecare Trust – started at Weymouth Pavilion.

Fundraisers who chose to park in the pavilion’s car park faced a £2 fee.

This was a reduced rate but Mrs West said she thought it was still too much and that the money could have gone towards the charity.

Mrs West said: “It was a fantastic night with more than 800 ladies taking part to raise money for the Weldmar Hospicecare Trust.

“How mean-spirited of the council was it to charge people to use the car park?

“There was no ferry sailing and no show on in the theatre so the car park would have been empty.

“To take advantage of that and to charge is in my opinion appalling.

“When the council holds civic functions a free parking ticket is issued, so why not have free parking for charity events?”

She added: “Everybody was there for a special reason and that’s why I am so upset.

“One of my best friends, Ian Phelps, died in the Joseph Weld Hospice and I lost a sister, June, to cervical cancer who died in St Luke’s Hospice in Plymouth.

“Weldmar do such wonderful work and to gain revenue off the back of a charity event is just wrong.”

Normally it would cost £3 to park at the Pavilion for two hours, £6 for four hours, £7 for six hours and £8 for 12 hours or £3 for an overnight stay.

The director of fundraising at Weldmar Hospicecare Trust Caroline Nickinson said the organisation appreciated the support the council had given them.

She said: “The council support us in so many ways over the Midnight Walk for which we are very grateful.

“We were aware of the £2 charge and passed this information on to all of our walkers ahead of the walk.”

A spokesman for Weymouth and Portland Borough Council said: “The council receives applications from charities for grant funding and gives support each year.

“In addition, council staff support a range of individual charities and events each year.”

Coun Christine James added: “No one forces you to take part in a charity event.

“We let them have parking for £2 and depending on how many people were in the car that could have been as little as 50p each.”