A Nottinghamshire teenager spent nine hours in a Sheffield shoppping centre after torrential rain trapped hundreds of shoppers inside.
Shoppers at the Meadowhall shopping centre were stuck inside as the rain lashed down outside, flooding the nearby streets and roads.
Thousands had headed to the Meadowhall shopping centre, just off the M1 near Sheffield, on Thursday afternoon for the annual Christmas Live event which was due to feature acts including Ella Henderson, Tom Zanetti, Jonas Blue.
But the show was called off at the last minute as torrential rain saw levels on the nearby River Don rise dramatically and several routes around the shopping complex affected by flooding.
On Thursday evening, police announced that the area was completely gridlocked and began to turn trapped motorists back into the centre's car parks.
Sixth form student Rosie de Roeck, 16, from Kirkby-in-Ashfield, had travelled to the event with her friend when she became trapped.
She said: "We were queuing up for the Christmas lights at about 3.30pm, and at about 5pm they were cancelled.
"We went into the food court and were advised for people to stay inside because of the rain.
"We were in there for about nine hours. It was horrible. They said we could not leave because the river was about to burst its bank.
"Starbucks was giving out free food. There was about 50 of us. It was really scary and I wanted to go home.
"Just being trapped in a shopping centre and not being able to get out for hours.
"Most of the shops shut early - Carphone Warehouse opened the store so we could charge our phones. Meadowhall did the best they could to keep everyone safe."
Her mum Rebecca Wilkinson, 43, said Rosie's friend's dad went down to collect them - and finally picked them up at about 1.30am.
She said: "All the public transport had been stopped. It was absolutely horrendous the drive. We just wanted to make sure she was safe and to get her home.
"It may have been an adventure - trapped in a shopping centre - but it ended up her wanting to get home and completely wet through."
Were you stuck at Meadowhall? Contact us at newsdesk@nottinghampost.com
