Electric vehicle owners in Warwick will have to start paying for parking again as a free permit scheme comes to an end this month.

Warwick District Council has been running a trial since 2021 offering free parking permits for EV drivers in all its car parks.

However, the council has announced the end of the scheme meaning electric vehicle owners will have to pay for their parking in WDC car parks from May 1.

The council said it is currently assessing how successful the trial was before making any further plans.

A WDC spokesperson said: "The scheme was introduced as a pilot to encourage the uptake of electric and low emission vehicles in the district.

"We will now assess the success and benefits of the scheme as we look to introduce a new initiative later in the year."

In February it was revealed that a further 1,700 electric charging points will be needed in Warwickshire by 2030 just to keep up with demand.

Currently there are 278 charging points countywide - a 140 per cent increase over the past two years.

A letter from WDC to permit holders said: "Thank you for being part of our pilot, electric vehicle permit scheme, which closes at midnight on Saturday 30 April 2022.

"We've learnt a lot from this pilot, helping shape the next steps we're taking with a new scheme that will encourage all of us who choose to use our carparks, to drive low or no emission vehicles."