A GRANDMOTHER was left terrified and stranded after an 'abusive' driver blocked her car for more than two hours.

Chris Owens, of Westminster Park, pleaded with a police call handler last Thursday to send officers to her aid, only to be told to ask him to move his car.

'He was about 6ft 3in and towering above me. He was aggressive and intimidating - I'm 5ft 2in,' said Chris, who was 53 on Monday.

Helpless and shaking, and with only her three-year-old grandson, Harry, for company, Chris found herself in a desperate situation.

'I felt like I was so alone and nobody cared,' she said. 'I asked the operator 'so you'll come out when he's beaten me up?' But she didn't answer me.'

Chris was parking her car in Brook Street, Chester, to take grandson Harry for his favourite bacon sandwich after his weekly swim at the Northgate Arena.

'This guy came running out and said 'you've bashed my car. I want your insurance details'. I said I hadn't so I wasn't going to give them to him,' she said.

She said the man then became abusive, so she walked away with Harry and took refuge in the cafe. 'I'm not in good health, I've got to have an operation. I have a liver problem and this made it flare up.'

Mother-of-two Chris, who has been Akela with the 18th Chester Scouts for 25 years, had to get Harry to nursery so, after lunch, they went back to her car.

'When I came out he had parked right up against my car so I couldn't get out. I didn't know what to do so I went to Scope to see if someone could help me.'

Chris, a registered childminder, was advised to call the police.

'The operator said 'Can't you ask him to move?' That's when I started to get upset. The staff made me a coffee and one played with Harry.

I was crying. I was at a loss and didn't know what to do.'

The staff contacted the community police officers for Brook Street. Two police officers came to see Chris and then confronted the man who had blocked in her car.

'He admitted he overreacted,' said Chris. The policeman said I did the right thing walking away'

Chris thanks staff at Scope and everyone else who tried to help.

Police reply: A CHESHIRE police said: 'When the call was received, the call handler was left with the impression this was a civil parking dispute.

'The call handler's decision be reviewed internally to ascertain whether this was the correct decision for the circumstances described. second call was received a short time later. Officers were deployed and the matter was resolved. Both parties were advised accordingly and no offences had been committed.'