Pensioner's 4-hour-wait in cold and dark for AA

Theresa Scott’s car broke down on the Bolton exit slip road of the A580 East Lancs Road at Wardley at around 10pm on Sunday, December 19.

The 84-year-old, from Harwood, realised she had left her phone at home, leaving her all but stranded in the dark and cold.

Theresa Scott and the car she broke down in

But fortunately for her an off-duty nurse came to her rescue and waited with her until after 2am for the AA.

Registered disabled, Mrs Scott, who has heart problems and has a husband at home with Alzheimer’s, Mrs Scott was left distressed.

She said: “I thought I was going to have a heart attack.

“It was pitch black.”

Tess and Theresa share a selfie to maintain good spirits

Luckily, neonatal nurse Tess Alcroft had taken a diversion home from Leeds due to an accident and spotted Mrs Scott waving next to her car in the darkness.

She said: “There were no hazards on, so I thought I’d better stop to make sure everything was all right.”

Mrs Scott is covered by The AA for breakdown assistance, so Mrs Alcroft rang them to explain the situation.

Mrs Alcroft said: “Dealing with The AA was awful, they were really frustrating. It took seven calls, and they said they sent seven different vans out. I wouldn’t have thought it would have been difficult to find us.”

The pair then endured the extended stay on the side of the road, finally being attended to at 2.25 am, despite the average wait time in the UK being under an hour.

The AA have since issued an apology and explanation of the situation. A spokesman said: “Our sincere apologies go to our member for any inconvenience caused, along with thanks to the passer-by who stopped to offer the use of a mobile phone to report the breakdown.

“This call was placed as a priority but unfortunately the first patrol could not locate the member and further attempts locating our member without a precise location brought its challenges, especially as the vehicle was on or near a slip road in an area where a serious incident and fatality had taken place, resulting in road closures. We know that some 40 per cent of our members do struggle to explain their exact location so it is always worth mentally noting any motorway junction exits that are passed and checking if there are any motorway marker post numbers.

"A fully charged mobile phone in your car can provide piece of mind and can also help us locate the user more quickly."