Shoppers angry at congestion in centre of Preston

Police had tweeted on Saturday that the area was “extremely busy”, and that Lancashire County Council bosses had been made aware.

Some of the congestion was thought to be football traffic, related to Preston North End’s game against Aston Villa.

Readers contacted the Lancashire Evening Post to say they had been stuck in the city centre for hours.

One reader, who had been parked in St George’s Shopping Centre car park, said he had moved two floors in an hour and a half and said traffic in the city was at a “complete standstill”.

He said some families with children had parked again and returned to the shopping centre.