TRADERS have called for action after shoppers faced delays exiting a multi-storey car park on Saturday for the second week in a row.

It comes amid fears that the traffic problems could put people off Christmas shopping Blackburn if a solution is not found.

Shoppers have experienced problems getting off the Mall's roof top car park into Astley Gate due the knock-on effect of queues in Mincing Lane and Darwen Street.

The manager of the Mall and the town's Chamber of Trade have called for urgent action to solve or ease the problems.

Local historian, James Marsden, claimed it had taken him one hour and twenty minutes to get off the car park - although a council bosses said they had not heard any reports it had taken anyone so long.

Mr Marsden said: "I go to the library virtually every day and park on the shopping centre and I've never known anything like it."

Loraine Jones, manager of the Mall, said she had spoken to bosses at Capita, which manages transport systems for Blackburn with Darwen, and asked for the situation to be looked at.

She said: "Hopefully this will be resolved soon. We want it sorting for Christmas shoppers."

David Cottam, president of Blackburn with Darwen Chamber of Trade, said changes to routes throughout the past year had helped make the situation worse than in previous years.

He said he would like to see traffic lights in Mincing Lane stay on red for longer to give people a chance to get off the car park.

Mr Cottam added: "I don't know if it's going to improve until we get the new Freckleton Street bridge.

"Once people get on the car park and find it's difficult to get off they may not come back again."

On November 11, a 5.15pm kick-off for the Blackburn Rovers game against Manchester United may have contributed to the problems.

However, shoppers this weekend were having to wait for at least 20 minutes to get off the car park.

One taxi driver, who was dropping off a passenger by the car park exit, said: "We are a bit hesitant to pick up fares from here at this time on a Saturday because you can wait for ages to get through to the pickup - and that's my money, not the passengers. Then the meter ticks on for them as we sit in standing traffic."

Coun Andy Kay, executive member for regeneration at the council, said: "There was a high volume of traffic on the car park on Saturday November 11.

"We have had reports that it did take a little longer than usual to leave the carpark but nothing so extreme as an hour.

"It is inevitable that there will be increases in the number of people coming into town on Saturdays in the run up to Christmas and we would suggest that people consider using public transport to reduce the volume of traffic on the town centre. The council also provides many car parks on the outskirts of the town centre for use by car owners."