STAFF at intu Merry Hill have expressed their frustration with car parking rules which dictate they must park in a car park where a man was stabbed to death two months ago.

Staff at the centre were told on Black Friday that they must start parking on the Engine Lane car park near the Waterfront, rather than the main customer car park where they were previously allowed to park.

The Engine Lane car park was the site of the fatal stabbing of 25-year-old Christopher Harm in October.

The policy, which is a permanent arrangement, has provoked anger from staff who feel their safety has not been considered.

A member of store staff, who did not wish to be named, said: "I want to park where we feel comfortable and safe.

"It feels like they [intu Merry Hill] are prioritising customers over staff.

"We all work very hard, and it at a very stressful time of year. I think it’s disgusting how we are being treated, we should be allowed to park where we feel safe to."

She added: "I want to see my car, jump in and go home. It's not about being lazy. I want to feel safe without thinking I'm going to be attacked."

She also pointed out that with late night shopping in place, some members of staff do not leave work until 11pm, and then have to walk alone in the dark to their cars which is potentially dangerous for the large numbers of young women who work in the centre.

This fear was shared by another reader, who wished to remain anonymous, who said: "My teenage daughter is 17 and finishes work at 11pm at night and is expected to walk over to Engine Lane alone in the dark, where intu have now publicly told everyone on Twitter where staff will be parking. This is open to thieves to see too it won’t be long before someone is attacked."

A representative of intu Merry Hill explained that this policy has been in place during the Christmas period for the last ten years and is aimed at 'enhancing' the customer experience.

A spokesperson from intu Merry Hill said: "At intu, our priority is to provide our customers with the perfect shopping experience. To improve the arrival experience for our customers, we ask that everyone who works in the centre, either for intu or for one of our retailers, uses our dedicated staff car park which is fully lit, monitored by CCTV and patrolled by security. The route from the centre to the carpark is also covered by CCTV and regularly patrolled. The safety of everyone visiting the centre whether that is to work or to shop is, as always, our number one priority.

"These changes were introduced from Black Friday and in full consultation with our retailers. And unlike staff parking arrangements at many other retail destinations, it’s free to use.

"We know that some of the people who work here also enjoy visiting the centre to do their shopping, in this situation they are encouraged to use customer parking alongside our thousands of other visitors."