DOZENS of people were left frustrated and perplexed in a Dorset car park after a mobile coronavirus test centre was nowhere to be seen.

After booking appointment slots for a facility in Blandford listed on the government’s online portal on Friday evening, residents made the trip to Marsh and Ham car park in West Street on Saturday.

But instead of a test facility, they found a number of confused people in their cars, who had expected to get tested.

Bob Staal, aged 73, decided to stop off at the Creekmoor park and ride test centre to get answers on his way home from North Dorset.

He was ushered through the testing process at Creekmoor using his QR code for the Blandford facility. However, the Poole resident said he was shocked at how quiet it was given the booking portal said no slots were available for the centre that day.

Mr Staal, a service engineer who got a test because he had a continuous cough, said: “We turned up at Creekmoor and got told to close the windows. There were a lot of people in yellow jackets. Me and my partner had our tests done, got given a card and off we went.

“There were around 100 people working on the site. They had eight tents ready to do testing but there was no queue at all.

“There was no contact procedure on the appointment website. It was a good thing we went to Creekmoor to try and find out information about Blandford. That was the only way we got a test.

“Looking at the amount of people and equipment at Creekmoor, what a waste of government funds and the people’s time. If they just had it open with it saying ‘Testing open today’ they would probably have a queue.

“It is just an absolutely disgusting waste of facilities. We are just glad we popped into Creekmoor.”

Darius Norowzian drove from Bournemouth to Blandford with his father, who has symptoms, on Saturday to get tested.

Mr Norowzian, aged 37 and a film director, said: “You go through the process to get a test and then find there was nothing there. There was no number or email address to contact so it was just a dead end.”

He added: “It is just disappointing. You want to have as much confidence in the government as you can. They are not doing a bad job but then you see it first hand and you are just disappointed.”

North Dorset MP Simon Hoare said while the provision at Blandford promised a lot, it had been “disappointing and very disruptive” for people who had booked a test.

He said he has raised his concerns with health secretary Matt Hancock.

Mr Hoare said: “The leader of Dorset Council and I have made representations to say it is simply not good enough. They take that point and it is teething troubles.

“I am working hard to make sure these are ironed out.

“I hope people will understand that but they will not be tolerant next week.”

The Daily Echo approached the Department of Health and Social Care but at the time of going to pres had not received a response.