Heatwave: Pregnant woman's seven-hour AA wait on hottest day

The Jenkins family were travelling back to Newcastle from Carmarthenshire when their car broke down on the way in Cardigan

A woman who is 35 weeks pregnant has spoken of waiting seven hours in a carpark for help after her car engine seized on the hottest day of the year.

Laura Jenkins, 38, from Newcastle upon Tyne, was travelling home from a family holiday in Pendine, Carmarthenshire, when their car broke down in Cardigan.

She called the AA at 14:30 BST on Tuesday, and it arrived at 21:30 BST.

The AA apologised and said the recovery "fell short of the standards we expect".

She travelled to west Wales for a holiday with her husband, Justin, and their nine-year-old daughter Dacey-Faith.

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The family had cut their holiday a day short as Dacey-Faith had an awards ceremony with Newcastle United Football Club for her good behaviour at school.

'Distraught'

"She was so excited, and we wanted to come back a day earlier so she could have a good night's rest, but now she's just missed out and is absolutely gutted," Mrs Jenkins said.

"We have had to try and keep her positive, getting her to read books and keep her entertained but she's distraught she isn't able to go."

The family were waiting seven hours on the hottest day of the year for a recovery lorry

As they were driving back the car started screeching. Mrs Jenkins called the garage who told her to ring the AA.

"I have had to keep calling the AA, they haven't kept us up to date with what's going on," she said, speaking to BBC Wales on Wednesday.

Mrs Jenkins added that the car was less than three-years-old and it was a fault with the engine, which now needs replacing.

Missed midwife appointment

"I am a high risk pregnancy, and can go into labour early, I have been starting to struggle with my blood pressure and I can feel my body changing."

Mrs Jenkins said she had missed a midwife appointment, due to take place at 10:30 BST on Wednesday, and was trying to do her job from her car, using her phone and laptop.

"It's been really difficult to manage. We've bought loads of lollies and are literally eating lollies to keep cool.

"I made a picnic so we have eaten that and we are trying to have little walks as well - just to keep cool and keep our daughter entertained."

They also tried to turn the ignition on in the car so they could access the air conditioning and also to charge Dacey-Faith's iPad so she would not be bored.

"We've just been keeping each other company to get through this."

A lorry eventually came and took their car, and Mrs Jenkins said she had "half considered" sitting in the lorry in order to get back to Newcastle.

The car was still in Wales when they got up the following morning, despite being told it was being taken back to Newcastle

The family ended up having to pay for a hotel in Llanelli as it was too late to get a car, they were told that a car hire would be available at 08:00 BST the following day.

"We're hoping that the AA will reimburse us for the hotel and breakfast. We just needed to get some sleep, and we were told the AA would ring us but they haven't, and again I have had to chase," she added.

Mrs Jenkins said their car - which they were told was heading to Newcastle to get fixed - was still there.

The family were initially told they could get a car from Wolverhampton, but would need to get a taxi there.

'Absolute nightmare'

Mr Jenkins, 48, an AA member, said they felt they had been stranded with no options to get home.

"It's just been an absolute nightmare, with cars constantly cancelled, AA blaming the car rental company and them saying it is the AA's fault.

"The recovery drivers have been amazing, but the process has been horrendous, just absolutely shocking. The boys have done everything they can," he said.

The family had been told that car hire was not possible but the car rental company gave them a van to drive back to Newcastle, and they got back at midnight on 20 July.

"If they made this plan yesterday, we could have been home and Dacey-Faith wouldn't have had to miss her trip," said Mrs Jenkins.

Upon returning to Newcastle she ended up having to go to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, because of the impact of the heat.

A spokesperson for the AA said: "We are sorry for the delays in Mrs Jenkins recovery and issues with onward travel which fell short of the standards we expect, we have been in contact with Mrs Jenkins to apologise and have ensured we have covered any costs incurred due to their overnight stay, plus a gesture of goodwill for the inconvenience caused.

"We deal with over nine million breakdowns every year and do our best to reach our members as quickly as possible, this breakdown occurred on one of our busiest days due to the heatwave and the associated challenges that came with it."