A disabled holidaymaker who left his car at Manchester Airport returned to an £880 parking bill - because he'd parked in the short stay multi-storey.

Pensioner Hamilton McLean said leaving his car there was his ‘only option’ as he and his wife made a frantic dash to catch their flight to San Francisco for a three-week holiday.

The couple’s taxi was cancelled at short notice because of snow.

Mr McLean, 70, said he was ‘forced’ to drive them to the airport himself at 5am - and that in the rush to catch the flight, he left his car in the short stay multi-storey on February 12.

He uses a buggy after suffering a stroke last year and has severe arthritis.

The receipt showing the £880 parking charge

Three weeks later, when the couple returned from seeing their son in San Fransisco, they discovered they'd racked up a whopping £880 parking bill.

Charges at the multi-storey start at £4 for 30 minutes, and go up to £40 per 24 hours.

Mr McLean, from Lancashire, said: “I was shocked when I saw how much it was - we had to pay because we couldn’t get the car otherwise.

“I tried ringing a couple of taxi firms, but they either didn’t have any cars or didn’t answer.”

Mr McLean said leaving his car in the short stay multi-story played on his mind while he was away.

“I was distracted from the holiday,” he added.

Hamilton McLean had to pay £880 for parking his car at Manchester Airport for three weeks

A manager at Accrington firm Max Cabs, the company that Mr McLean booked with, said: “In those weather conditions, safety is paramount.

“We did our best to notify customers through the night. There’s nothing else we could have done, we did our best.”

A spokesperson for Manchester Airport said the car park has numerous signs warning drivers it is for short stays only.

They said: “Our multi-storey car parks are meant for short stays and not three-week holidays.

“We do offer cheaper alternatives for longer stays, which provide full access to our terminals for disabled passengers.”