Jurassic Experience at Ashton Court in Bristol branded a 'parking nightmare' by customers

A new dinosaur trail at Ashton Court in Bristol has been criticised by customers who say parking for the exhibit has been a "nightmare".

There are 50 life-sized dinosaur sculptures on display as part of the Jurassic Experience which has come to the city as part of a UK-wide tour.

Inspired by the Jurassic Park film, the trail - which started on Saturday 15 October - involves visitors walking through a path, where they can see the robotic dinosaurs that move and make noises.

While some customers have had high praise for the event itself, saying the 'long queues' to get in were worth it, others have described getting into Ashton Court as "chaos" and a "nightmare".

Some say they had to wait for longer than an hour to get into the car park, missing their time slot for the trail.

Naz Kabir, director of marketing for Jurassic Encounter, said: "We have a great family experience here. We've been touring for two years and it's great to see thousands of people coming here.

"We all grew up learning about dinosaurs at schools. It's one of those things that fascinates us. We call it an edu-tainment event. It's a great walk-through experience and a lovely day out for families.

"We do advise visitors to use public transport where possible and if not, there is a carpark on site that holds up to 150 cars. But if you don't have to drive we urge you not to - not only to help with traffic flows but also for the environment."

One person who went to Bristol especially for the exhibit said: "Our little boy loved it, although the parking is a nightmare."

Another said the parking was "ridiculous", adding that they "circled the tiny car park for an hour waiting for someone to leave".

Another said: "It was absolute chaos, poorly organised and the queues were never-ending."

The organisers of the exhibit posted on Facebook on Saturday 15 October to alert people of the 'limited' parking on site, with only 150 spaces available.

A company representative added: "We do not have any control over the traffic coming into the two main car parks onsite or the limited number of parking slots available.

"The onsite car parks are pay and display and managed by the local council.

"If visitors choose to drive, naturally it is their responsibility to ensure they plan for the journey and locate a suitable parking space.

"We did not have this issue at previous venues on the UK tour as the public took on board the advice we offered.

"They used public transport of got dropped off and picked up, making for a much smoother process for everyone.

"Therefore, we fail to see how we, as the event organisers, are to blame for the public not taking on board our very clear and communicated advice and guidance."

It's not the first obstacle organisers of the exhibit have had to deal with, after one of the dinosaurs went up in flames on Friday 14 October.

Firefighters arrived to find a 10-metre tall diplodocus sculpture alight.

Crews described the cause of the fire as "accidental ignition" and used a hose reel to put out the blaze.

More information about the exhibit at Ashton Court Estate can be found here.