IT WAS a variation on three old ladies locked in the lavatory - 20 people trapped in a 70-acre park for the night.

Only frantic waving and shouting brought rescuers to the scene - in the shape of Cleveland Fire Brigade.

Apparently, the people shut in Albert Park, Middlesbrough, did not have a mobile telephone among them.

Fire Station Officer Ron Carr said: "They all got to the park end opposite the fire station and managed to raise our attention by shouting and waving.

"We had appliances out at a fire at the time, but diverted one to the park. We used ladders to get people over the fence."

The trapped people were made of two groups - young people and middle-aged people out for an evening stroll.

Mr Carr said: "The group of older people were getting worried and concerned as to how they were going to get out.

"There are no telephones in the park and it was just a matter of raising someone's attention."

The 104-year old park is undergoing a £4.4m revamp. Security staff have been employed after consultations showed that many people would still be afraid to use the park unless their safety could be guaranteed.

A Middlesbrough Council spokesman said large signs displaying park opening and closing times had been installed at every entrance, while a park warden armed with a whistle toured the park in his car, just before the gates were locked.

It was the first weekend that the park closing time had been brought forward to 7pm.

The spokesman said: "As the days begin to shorten, the opening hours decrease. We have to close the park for security and to keep people safe.

"If the warden spots anybody he will tell them the park is closing and to make their way to an exit. Clearly, what happened last night was people have not seen the notices and the park warden has not seen the people, and there has, unfortunately, been a mistake on both sides.

"We hope that people were not too inconvenienced."