A PENSIONER was shocked to discover a bailiff had called at her Winsford home accusing her of failing to pay a toll on the Mersey Gateway.

Heart patient Irene Burke was on holiday recovering from hospital treatment when her son Neil was confronted by a collector from Marston Holdings demanding £520 for unpaid crossing charges.

"It is a nightmare," said mum-of-two Irene, 65. "I went away to Eastbourne on holiday because I've been in hospital with heart trouble. I'm all stressed over this. I feel physically sick, I haven't slept. I'm a nervous wreck."

Irene regularly crosses the bridge between Widnes and Runcorn to visit relatives in Liverpool, to go shopping or visit the theatre.

A £2 toll must be paid online before midnight the day after each journey.

"I usually pay when I come back or phone up before I go," said great gran Irene. "The crux is I haven't had any letters. I have never been in debt."

Irene immediately sought advice from Citizens Advice who contacted Merseyflow, the company which manages the tolls.

"I was told I had not paid for a trip last June," said Irene. "I'm not disputing this, I may have forgotten to pay for one trip. All I can afford is to pay this off at £50 per month but they won't accept it."

A spokesman for Merseyflow and Marston Holdings said: "Since 2017 Merseyflow has issued numerous penalty charge notices (PCNs) and reminders directly to Mrs Burke at the home address she has provided to us. Some of these PCNs were paid promptly but a large number remain outstanding so were passed to our debt enforcement partners at Marston Holdings.

"Marston Holdings then sent four separate letters to Mrs Burke at the same home address asking her to make payment or contact us to discuss her circumstances. These letters explained that at this stage it would be possible to discuss a payment arrangement and each letter signposted her to free and independent debt advice.

"Marston Holdings received no response to any of these letters until an enforcement agent visited.

"The evidence Mrs Burke has provided does not demonstrate that she is unable to pay the money she owes in one instalment. We will be happy to consider any further evidence she can provide. We urge all customers who receive our letters to contact us before an enforcement agent visits."