CITY centre homeowners could be in for some extra festive cheer this Christmas by renting out their unused parking spaces to shoppers and tourists.

As retailers gear up for the busiest shopping days of the year, online parking market place YourParkingSpace.co.uk is reminding people with spare or unused parking spaces of the potential extra income they could generate.

Lucy Gibbs from Manchester, earns £70 a month renting out her parking space in Spinningfields, close to the city's famous Christmas markets.

She describes it as a ‘win-win situation', adding, "I'm not using my parking space, and someone else needs it. It's a great concept and it's effortless.

"YourParkingSpace.co.uk manages the payments so there's nothing left for me to deal with and I receive the rent into my account at the end of each month."

Company chief Harrison Woods said: "Millions of people will flock to city centres over the next few weeks to enjoy the festive hustle and bustle and also hit the sales.

"Demand for parking will be high, offering homeowners with a spare parking space a fantastic opportunity to make some extra money."

Victoria Matthews from Shepherd's Bush, London, lives close to the popular Westfield Shopping Centre, which attracts around 28 million visitors a year, and rents out her spare parking space for £12 a day.

She said: "I have an allocated parking space that comes with my flat which I wasn't using. When I heard about YourParkingSpace.co.uk I decided to rent it out.

"It only took two minutes to list on their website, it's all been very straightforward and the extra money at the end of each month has helped a great deal."

Birmingham's Frankfurt market, which draws crowds of over five million, opened on November 17 and those living nearby could earn up to £240 while it's in town, according to the online parking marketplace.

Meanwhile, homeowners in London could earn as much as £480, and those in cities such as Leeds, Nottingham and Glasgow could pocket £275.