Chaos erupted at Manchester's Trafford Centre last night as furious motorists found themselves trapped in gridlocked traffic for up to five hours, sparking physical fights between frustrated drivers.
Children were left crying as tensions flared outside the shopping complex, where thousands of visitors were stranded in the car park on Monday evening.
The mayhem unfolded as a sea of Christmas shoppers and Manchester United fans filled up the Trafford Centre, leaving many unable to exit their parking spaces as they tried to leave.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing verbal abuse and physical altercations between drivers as the situation deteriorated into violence.
Business administrator Cody Fisher, 18, and his boyfriend Lewis Moran, 20, a healthcare worker, experienced the ordeal firsthand after visiting the cinema.
The couple arrived at midday and spent an hour searching for a parking space before their film.
When they emerged at 3pm, they discovered complete gridlock, leaving them unable to exit their parking space for nearly five hours.
"We went to the car and everyone was on the road, and the engines were turned off," Cody told reporters. "When we got to about half-six, seven, that's when people starting getting really annoyed."
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Some desperate motorists attempted to create escape routes by opening typically-shut gates as the situation grew increasingly tense.
Fisher said he saw a violent confrontation between two women, one of whom had a child.
"It was like... throwing hands each other. It was this lady and another lady," he recounted. "They were screaming 'we've been here five hours', and 'we're not letting you pass'."
"Everyone started shouting, saying: 'Stop being so selfish' - I've never seen anything like it, it's a nightmare," Fisher added.
Further voice messages from the scene captured the sound of screaming and verbal abuse as the chaos continued.
Natalia Suska, 33, and her partner Piyush Sheopuri, 31, were among those caught in the gridlock after visiting the centre to collect a gift from jewellery maker Pandora.
"I've never experienced something like that, even the day before Christmas," said Suska.
She added that while they had visited the centre on December 23, the congestion then was nowhere near as severe.
A spokesman for the Trafford Centre attributed the delays to a combination of high customer footfall and traffic from last night's match at Old Trafford.
He said: "With a busy day at the centre, and the Manchester United game taking place nearby this evening, the roads in and out of the centre are more congested than usual."
They added at the time: "We're working with Greater Manchester Police and the highways authorities to try and clear the roads as quickly as possible, so things should be moving better around the centre soon.
"We appreciate our visitors' patience whilst trying to get in and out of the car parks."
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Children were left crying as tensions flared outside the shopping complex, where thousands of visitors were stranded in the car park on Monday evening.
The mayhem unfolded as a sea of Christmas shoppers and Manchester United fans filled up the Trafford Centre, leaving many unable to exit their parking spaces as they tried to leave.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing verbal abuse and physical altercations between drivers as the situation deteriorated into violence.
Business administrator Cody Fisher, 18, and his boyfriend Lewis Moran, 20, a healthcare worker, experienced the ordeal firsthand after visiting the cinema.
The couple arrived at midday and spent an hour searching for a parking space before their film.
When they emerged at 3pm, they discovered complete gridlock, leaving them unable to exit their parking space for nearly five hours.
"We went to the car and everyone was on the road, and the engines were turned off," Cody told reporters. "When we got to about half-six, seven, that's when people starting getting really annoyed."
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Some desperate motorists attempted to create escape routes by opening typically-shut gates as the situation grew increasingly tense.
Fisher said he saw a violent confrontation between two women, one of whom had a child.
"It was like... throwing hands each other. It was this lady and another lady," he recounted. "They were screaming 'we've been here five hours', and 'we're not letting you pass'."
"Everyone started shouting, saying: 'Stop being so selfish' - I've never seen anything like it, it's a nightmare," Fisher added.
Further voice messages from the scene captured the sound of screaming and verbal abuse as the chaos continued.
Natalia Suska, 33, and her partner Piyush Sheopuri, 31, were among those caught in the gridlock after visiting the centre to collect a gift from jewellery maker Pandora.
"I've never experienced something like that, even the day before Christmas," said Suska.
She added that while they had visited the centre on December 23, the congestion then was nowhere near as severe.
A spokesman for the Trafford Centre attributed the delays to a combination of high customer footfall and traffic from last night's match at Old Trafford.
He said: "With a busy day at the centre, and the Manchester United game taking place nearby this evening, the roads in and out of the centre are more congested than usual."
They added at the time: "We're working with Greater Manchester Police and the highways authorities to try and clear the roads as quickly as possible, so things should be moving better around the centre soon.
"We appreciate our visitors' patience whilst trying to get in and out of the car parks."
Find Out More...