HUNDREDS of people and children were left trapped in their cars caught up in traffic chaos after a visit to an enchanted winter wonderland.
The supposedly magical event in the grounds of Cannon Hall in Cawthorne was organised by Barnsley company Fire and Light Events Ltd.
But on Sunday many visitors who had pre-booked their visit were turned away before they even got near and others who did manage to make it to the forest found themselves trapped and unable to get home because of the gridlocked traffic.
The problems were created late in the afternoon when the car park filled up so visitors began parking vehicles on the narrow Bark House Lane leading from Cawthorne village to Cannon Hall.
Eventually the police were called by the angry bus driver and they blocked all access into Bark House Lane - turning away visitors who were just arriving and tried to clear what had become a giant bottleneck.
The Barnsley Chronicle has made several attempts to contact Fire and Light Events Ltd. The company's answer machine now states it is full of messages and so cannot take any more.
** The full story is in the Barnsley Chronicle newspaper, dated December 24. **
