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.
Ms Karim’s £100 deposit was returned to her account nearly two days after she purchased fuel / Credit: Freepik
“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.
“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.”
Sainsbury’s has joined Tesco in charging drivers up to £100 deposit fees to use Pay at Pump / Credit: Visa
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
Bob Vylan dropped from Manchester music festival following Glastonbury controversy
Danny Jones
English punk rap duo Bob Vylan have been dropped from an upcoming music festival in Manchester following the recent controversy surrounding their set at Glastonbury 2025.
The media storm surrounding their much-talked-about and heavily televised Glasto appearance has seen them reportedly dropped by their agency and their US Visas cancelled, along with multiple concerts – one of those being right here in Greater Manchester.
Bob Vylan were scheduled to play RADAR Fest at Victoria Warehouse in Stretford this weekend, but now the organisers have informed gig-goers that the artists will not be performing in their planned slot on Saturday.
The alternative music event did provide any additional details, posting nothing but this image:
For anyone unaware, Vylan were heavily criticised for the pro-Palestine chants, which Glastonbury itself has deemed as having “crossed a line”, labelling the chants against the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) as antisemitic.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has also commented on the situation.
In addition to RADAR, Vylan were also due to appear at Kave Fest in France the following Sunday, 6 July, but the music event has also decided not to host them.
The BBC also opted not to broadcast Northern Irish band Kneecap as part of their coverage this year, as the Belfast rap trio have also been outspoken on the issue, among many other musicians of late.
Responding to the decision on social media not long after the news broke, the act simply shared the post on their Instagram story along with the caption: “Silence is not an option. We will be fine, the people of Palestine are hurting. Manchester, we will be back.”
Trafford Centre launches school uniform drive to help disadvantaged Manchester families
Emily Sergeant
A school uniform drive has been launched at the Trafford Centre to support local families ahead of the new school year.
With schools across Greater Manchester soon set to be out for the summer holidays, many parents, guardians, and carers in the region may be looking ahead to the new school year in September, concerned about how they may be able to provide their children with the necessary uniform items needed.
According to a 2020 survey by The Children’s Society, 23% of parents reported that the cost of school uniforms led to their children wearing ‘ill-fitting, unclean, or incorrect’ items.
It’s these statistic that highlight the ongoing pressure faced by families.
This is why the Trafford Centre has partnered with both Manchester South Central Foodbank and local charity, Bridging the Gap, to launch a school uniform donation drive aimed at supporting more than 700 children across Manchester this summer.
The Trafford Centre launches a school uniform drive to help disadvantaged Manchester families / Credit: Trafford Centre
From now up until the 15 August, anyone heading to the region’s largest shopping centre is encouraged to donate new or pre-loved school uniforms.
“The cost of living crisis has deeply impacted our community, with more and more families unable to afford the essentials,” commented Emily Jeremy, who is the Assistant Project Manager at Manchester South Central Foodbank.
“As an anti-poverty charity, we recognised the need for school uniform support years ago. Though costs vary between schools, a full set of branded secondary school uniform can total around £150, which is a significant burden for many households.”
All items can be donated at the shopping centre’s Guest Services point / Credit: Darren Robinson Photography | Trafford Centre (Supplied)
Simon Layton, Centre Director at the Trafford Centre, added: “We’re proud to be working alongside Bridging the Gap and Manchester South Central Foodbank to support local families during these challenging times.
“School uniforms shouldn’t be a barrier to education, and we hope this initiative will ease some of the pressure many parents face as the new school year approaches.”
The school uniform donation drive is running up until 15 August.
All items can be taken to the Trafford Centre’s Guest Services Lounge, which is located on Lower Regent Crescent next to M&S, and they must be clean and free from stains or damage.
Emily Sergeant -
3rd August 2021 
