Unsecured car park barrier crashes through Northampton family's windscreen

They say a barrier in Mayorhold Shoppers multi-story, in Lady's Lane, crashed through their car windscreen and stopped just short of their 10-year-old daughter in the back seat.

No one was hurt in the incident on Christmas Eve as the family drove into town for some last-minute shopping.

But mum Rebecca Arlington, from Kingsley, says the borough council should claim responsibility for securing the loose gate.

Rebecca said: "I'm furious.

Rebecca's husband, Graham, and their three children drove into town in the family car at around 9.30am on Christmas Eve.

While parking in the Mayorhold multi-storey, an unsecured black-and-yellow metal barrier swung into the windscreen.

Rebecca said: "My husband told me it happened in an instant. It went straight through the car. My 16-year-old son in the front seat ducked to avoid it and it stopped just a foot away from my 10-year-old daughter in the back seat.

"We couldn't find any members of staff. We were meant to see family later that day and now we couldn't get to them. It's scared my daughter so badly."

But the family says that the borough council, who control the car park, have done nothing to help them since.

Rebecca said: "We called them an hour after it happened to report it. When I called another day, they said they had no record of it, and no one had written it down.

"Other people could be seriously hurt. I'm really angry about the whole thing. We're out of pocket as the car is wrecked."

A borough council spokesman said: “We are aware of this unfortunate incident and are in direct contact with the family regarding it. We are now in the process of investigating the cause of this, including the possibility of vandalism.”