A British man accidentally left his ageing mother-in-law in a Dover ferry port car park and only realised half way across to France, police said Wednesday. The man and his wife urgently called Port of Dover police after realising they had abandoned the elderly woman sitting in their vehicle in a multi-storey car park, while they headed off on a day-trip across the Channel.
"On March 22 in the morning, a couple made a phone call to police regarding an elderly mother who had been left in their car in the multi-storey car park at the port," said a police spokesman.
"Officers went to the vehicle, found the lady and took care of her, giving her a drink and making sure she was safe, until approximately four hours later when they returned."
British media said the old lady, believed to be in her 70s, gave the couple "a piece of her mind" when they finally returned on the next ferry back from Calais.
"We all know about mothers-in-law and what a nightmare they can be but this guy took it to the limit," a police source told the Daily Mirror, which said the couple were in their 40s and from Merseyside in northwest England.
"He'll never live this down and he'll be getting it in the ear from now until the end of time. It was a nightmare for the old dear."