Couple 'stuck' in Madame Tussauds rang for police

A couple who claimed they got stuck in Madame Tussauds after it closed for the evening have joked about their "traumatic" time among the waxworks.

Michelle and Stephen Robinson, from St Helens on Merseyside, said they ended up spending much longer than anticipated at the Blackpool visitor attraction.

The couple, whose video appears to show them stuck behind a locked door and barrier, said they only managed to get out after calling the police.

A Madame Tussauds spokesperson denied that the couple had been "locked in or left alone in the building at any time".

"We were shouting for help and there was no answer," Mr Robinson, 48, told BBC News.

"It was quite funny to begin with, but it started getting creepy towards the end.

"I was getting worried about my wife - she is disabled, she has a brain disorder - and it was starting to get a little scary for her."

The charity worker said they had been having a great time walking through the exhibits and enjoying a drink at the venue's Coronation Street replica Rovers Return bar.

However, when they tried to leave they realised "everything was locked up" and the lights and escalators had been turned off.

Mr Robinson said he and his 44-year-old wife tried banging on the windows to attract the attention of passing members of the public, only to be ignored.

"A woman walked past and she thought we were waving so she waved back," he said. "She thought we were messing!"

When the Robinsons realised no one was about to let them out, they called the police before heading back to the replica Rovers Return, complete with waxworks of iconic landlady Bet Lynch.

Lancashire Police confirmed they were called to the museum at 18:10 GMT on 8 March following reports of two members of the public being locked in the premises.

"The manager attended at 18:34 to unlock the premises and the members of the public left at 18:44," said a force spokesperson.

"I think they thought it was a hoax," Mr Robinson said.

"We ended up going back to the bar and having a couple of drinks because there was nothing else for us to do.

"The toilets were locked so we both had to go for a wee in a bin - we didn't have a choice - but we offered to clean it up after.

"And we offered to pay for the drinks and everything - we're not thieves."

The Madame Tussauds spokesperson said: "Our CCTV shows that our management team were on the premises throughout.

"During closure, the guests took an alternate exit route, which triggered our cameras and detection systems. They were immediately approached and led out of the building.

"Since this occurred, we have been in regular contact with the guests and it is our understanding that they were satisfied with the outcome."

Mr Robinson joked that the incident had left him "traumatised" from sitting with Corrie veteran characters Ken and Deirdre Barlow in the Rovers Return for so long.

"I never want to hear the Coronation Street theme tune again," he said.

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