Caroline Spowart had been bowling with her mum Joyce Patterson, 53, and her friend, Brenda Wass, 51, on Friday, April 11.

They came out of the Dunes in Sea Road, South Shields, shortly after 10pm and found the gates of the car park locked.

Mrs Spowart, 35, from Cleadon Park, South Shields, said: "We returned to my mother's car at 10.08pm to find all the exits and barriers had been closed and locked.

"Therefore, we were unable to leave the car park. There was another vehicle in the same predicament.

"A warden was at the other vehicle, but immediately told me the only way we could exit the car park was to accept a parking ticket.

"After dealing with the other driver, he printed our ticket, 12 minutes after we returned to the car.

"When asked if he would now open the gate, he said 'yes', but subsequently left, leaving us locked in, along with another driver in her vehicle.

"After numerous conversations with the police and the control room of the council, we were eventually released at midnight."

Mrs Spowart says she is now challenging the £50 fine they received, but has been told the warden was under no obligation to open the gate, as the car park closes at 10pm.

She said: "I am baffled as to why visitors to the car park are allowed 10 minutes' 'grace' to buy a ticket and display it, but when we had paid the required amount to park, we were not given the same courtesy when returning to the vehicle.

"I also wonder why the warden saw fit to agree to open the barrier, then drove away, leaving us wondering what was going to happen next."

A spokesman for APCOA, which manages and enforces off-street parking on behalf of South Tyneside Council, confirmed one of its civil enforcement officers (CEOs) arrived at the car park just after 10pm.

He said: "Signage at the car park states clearly that it will be closed at 10pm.

"The CEO found two cars in the car park which had overstayed their parking periods, so began to issue both of the vehicles with penalty charge notices (PCNs).

"The drivers of both vehicles arrived as he was issuing the PCNs and he duly informed them that, in line with procedure, when he had finished issuing the tickets, he would open the gates.

"At this point the CEO believed that his personal safety may have become compromised, and that he should leave the scene immediately, which he did.

"We are sorry that the drivers of the vehicles in question were upset by our CEO's actions, but employee safety is paramount to us."

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