Widow buys car park

Edith Murphy wanted to help relieve parking congestion

A widow, who was fed up with parking problems in her village, has paid £200,000 for a new car park.

Edith Murphy from Birstall, Leicestershire, who is known for her donations to charity, said she found it difficult to find a parking space when she went shopping.

She decided to solve the problem by buying a derelict supermarket in the heart of Birstall and turning it into parking spaces.

Mrs Murphy donated the 24-space free car park to the village.

"Birstall has been very good to me and I felt that I wanted to give something in return," she said.

Philanthropic widow

"I'm also a parish councillor so I know the parking problem well and when this opportunity arose I knew I had to act."

Mrs Murphy, of Birstall Road in the village, has donated more than £1m to charities, mostly in Leicestershire, in the past six years through the Edith Murphy Foundation.

I have been very fortunate in life

Edith Murphy, philanthropist

Among those to benefit have been the RSPCA, Glenfield Hospital Breast Care, the Marie Curie Cancer Appeal, a children's holiday home in Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire and a youth football club.

Mrs Murphy, whose property developer husband, Hughie, died of cancer 10 years ago at the age of 82, said she is happy to give away her fortune.

"I have been very fortunate in life with a wonderful husband for 25 years, so I don't mind," she said.

Hugh Knight, clerk of Birstall Parish Council, said the town was delighted when Mrs Murphy stepped in to buy the land on The Crossways.

"It was a great boost to the village and very well received," he said.

Mrs Murphy moved to the village with her husband in 1960.