BY ERIC KING
Motorists in Forest gate, east london, were left stranded last night after their vehicles had become locked in the Shaftesbury Road car park, by parking attendants at 9pm. Scores of people who assumed the car park was open to the public beyond 9pm, found themselves in utter desperation as a number took to their phones to call police for rescue.
Signposts stating the closing hours of the park are there, but not very visible. Elizabeth Hall, who brought the story to our attention, told eye of media ” I was very panicky, I knew I had to pick my kids up from our baby sitter and had to go to work the next day. It did not really cross my mind that the Park will be shut at all, so I guess I learnt a big lesson. There where lots of people trying to get into the park, and everyone was terribly frustrated”
Eventually, a man was attempting to break the lock of the car park when police turned up and drove to the Newham Council office in Dockside to collect the keys to the car park. Newham Council confirmed that it would be reviewing ”additional measures” to ensure the awareness of visitors of the park’s closing hours. As frustrating as the experience must have been for those stranded, they all had a duty to confirm the closing hours of the car park before leaving their vehicle there.
picture:CREDIT-Tahid Ahmed
