LATE--NIGHT Christmas shopers were stuck after Scrooge car park attendants locked their cars in.

Shoppers had descended on Dovercourt for the annual Christmas lights switch last Friday.

But ten shoppers returned to their cars to find them shut inside the Milton Road car park in Dovercourt.

Marie Phillips, 32, was one of those affected.

She said:“I went back to the car at about 6.45pm to find two people standing with children and a policeman.

“I asked what was happening and they said they had locked the car park.”

Peter Halliday, leader of Tendring Council, said: “Normally there would have been a separate road closure for the event which would have alerted us to the fact we needed to let our cleaning contractors know not to lock up as early that evening..

“What actually happened was that the organisers extended the closure from the Market earlier in the day and therefore we did not get the heads-up which would have reminded us.

“However, that is no excuse and we should made arrangements for the car park to be open later and we can only hold our hands up to that. We also thank Lesley Pollard very much for going along with her key to let the vehicles out.”