A local grandmother was left “mortified” after a £100 deposit charged for buying fuel at the pump left her with just £3 in her bank account.
The Lancashire Telegraph reports that Deborah Karim purchased £20 worth of fuel from Sainsbury’s petrol station on Trinity Street in Bolton on Wednesday 28 July – a service that requires a deposit.
As Ms Karim is disabled, she usually chooses to pay at the pump, but in this instance found that the £100 deposit taken from her account was not immediately refunded.
The deposit was instead returned on Friday morning – around 36 hours later.
With no prior warning or indication the money would not be refunded immediately, the 60-year-old was left with just £3 in her bank account.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I couldn’t believe it when I found out,” Ms Karim told the Lancashire Telegraph.
“I didn’t see any signs to warn you about it and there was no notification.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Usually they return the deposit to you immediately, but the money wasn’t back in my account for another 36 hours.
“I had no idea that they could take your money for this long, I was mortified.
“I actually cried my heart out as it’s incredibly worrying – when you’re on a low income this really impacts you.”
The system requires you to pay a deposit before filling your tank with fuel, with your bank/credit card holding this money until the actual amount you paid is debited.
Following complaints from several customers regarding the new deposit scheme, Andrew Cregan – Payments Policy Advisor at the British Retail Consortium – said: “Banks must raise customer awareness on the changes and address their concerns.
“They must take responsibility for the change by dealing with customer complaints on social media and contact centres and they must enhance their banking apps which are currently slow to update the transactions and can cause financial distress.”
Featured Image – Google Maps
News
Council calls on public to suggest names for new public square in Stretford
Emily Sergeant
The Greater Manchester public is being called on to help name a brand-new public square in the heart of Stretford.
Could we have another ‘Boaty McBoatface’ on our hands? As far as public naming competitions go, the comical suggestion for the name of a new RMS ship back in 2016 – which was then given to a fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) instead – will probably always lead the way as the most well-known entrant.
But now, it’s Greater Manchester‘s turn to give it a go and get creative with their naming suggestions, as Trafford Council inviting the local community to name a brand-new public square that’s set to open in the heart of Stretford next year.
Connecting the newly restored King Street and Pinnington Lane, Trafford Council says the new public square will play “a key part in the transformation of the area” and be a “focal point” for the area – with lots of greenery, seating areas, and spaces to “meet, rest and play” and host events too.
Residents are being encouraged to “put their imprint on the Square” by putting forward their suggestions for its name.
All the entries will be condensed into a shortlist and the public will then vote on their favourite.
With the naming competition fully underway, Trafford residents now have the opportunity to talk to the Stretford town centre team, get creative, and post entries into the voting box that’ll be in place in Stretford Mall up until Sunday 19 May, as well as submit their ideas via the Stretford town centre website.
To come up with their names suggestions, the Council wants residents to take inspiration from these three themes:
Heritage – celebrating the fascinating history embedded into Stretford’s identity
Culture – showcasing the rich and vibrant cultural tapestry that defines the essence of the town and its residents
Community – reflecting the strong sense of unity among Stretford’s residents, making the town a welcoming place to live, work, and socialise.
After submissions are closed, the Stretford town centre forum will then decide on three entries that “best represent the area” and have made best use of the inspiration topics to go to the public vote for the final decision.
A town centre polling station will be open for residents to cast their votes in person, or they can do so online via both a Google form or a range of social media polls.
The public vote will officially close on Sunday 16 June, and the unveiling ceremony will take place at The StretFest on Saturday 6 July, where the winner and name of the new public square will be announced.
Fancy shooting a suggestion then? Find out more on the Stretford Town Centre website here.
Featured Image – STC / Bruntwood
News
Manchester-born Lord of the Rings and Titanic actor Bernard Hill dies aged 79
Danny Jones
Manchester actor, best known for roles in Lord of the Rings, Titanic, Shirley Valentine and more, has sadly died at the age of 79.
Born in Blackley near the River Irk, historically part of Lancashire, the familiar British face who often popped up in Hollywood too famously played Théoden, the King of Rohan, in the original trilogy of fantasy films as well as Captain Edward Smith in Titanic.
His death was announced by his agent Lou Coulson via the BBC, who confirmed that he passed away in the early hours of Sunday morning.
A statement from his family is expected soon and tributes are already pouring in online.
Hill studied at what is now the Manchester School of Theatre, formerly known as the Polytechnic School of Theatre and also went on to appear in the much-loved BBC drama by Alan Bleasdale, Boys from the Blackstuff, back in 1982.
Playing the character of Yosser Hughes – best-known for the line “gizza a job” – the show went on to be awarded a BAFTA for best drama series in 1983 and was ranked as the seventh best TV show ever made on a 2000 round-up by the British Film Institute
He was also due for a big return to TV screens in series two of another BBC hit, The Responder starring Martin Freeman, which begins airing at 9pm this Sunday.