A SOUTHAMPTON mum ended up with a parking ticket after being locked INSIDE her own home by her daughter.

Beauty buyer Nicola Emblin, 43, received a parking ticket by Southampton City Council for failing to move her car after being accidentally locked into her home by her 17-year-old daughter Holly.

The mother and daughter live on a city centre street with pay and display machines, with parking restrictions between 8am and 8pm.

Holly was picked up by her grandparents to go to the airport ten minutes before the restrictions began and was supposed to post their house key back through the letter box, but forgot.

As a result, Nicola was unable to move her car out of its spot and received a £35 parking ticket from the council.

Nicola said: “I was furious - it was a really bad situation.

“My daughter had lost her key again, and I was in the shower when I got locked in.

“In the end my brother had to come at let me out at around 10am after he got another key.”

Nicola said she tried to call the council repeatedly while she was locked in to explain, but was unable to get through.

She said: “It was extremely frustrating, especially when I pay council tax and unfortunately the council offices are not open at weekends, so when I called to speak to someone about what was happening there was no one to help me.”

Nicola immediately appealed the council’s decision, but the council would not cancel the ticket.

A spokesperson from Southampton City Council reiterated that the circumstances did not warrant cancelling the penalty charge notice, as the car was parked in a residents’ or shared use parking place without a permit or pay and display ticket issued for that place.

Nicola said: “I am currently looking to move out of the area because of the parking as it is so very frustrating, especially when Southampton are playing at home as you cannot park at all.

“The parking restrictions vary so much, as do the annual fees, which are just totally obscene.

“If you live in the Inner avenue and Polygon its £30 a year. If we want to obtain a parking permit for where we live, its £500 a year.

“When we first moved here the restrictions were 9am-5pm- now its worse.”