PATIENTS turning up at York's Covid mass vaccination site last night were told they couldn't have the jab because the vaccine had 'run out.'

The relatives of several elderly York residents have contacted The Press to complain about what happened at the former Askham Bar Park & Ride site off Moor Lane, which began coronavirus vaccinations earlier this week.

Gary Flakes said he took his 85-year-old uncle, George Dodd, for an appointment at 6.30pm.

"We arrived at 6.15pm, and queued for 40 minutes in one of two traffic lines," he said.

"The first steward I had contact with walked down the middle of the cars in line and told us, through the closed car window, that there was no vaccine left, it had run out, and we were to go home.

"There was no other explanation, no information, no apology.

"The cars involved snaked around a dimly lit car park. I estimate that there may have been 75 of us turned away."

He said he had heard nothing today from the organisers of the vaccination site.

"It's not acceptable getting old and vulnerable patients to make a real effort to get there - it was 4C - only to send them away. They prepare themselves for such events. The disappointment was palpable."

David Jackson said his uncle, in his early 80s, had gone to the site, 'vulnerable and anxious,' and was told the vaccine had run out.

He said his mother had an appointment for a jab there this afternoon, and it had not been cancelled and so he hoped it was still going ahead.

Another person has claimed on The Press website that their elderly relative's appointment was cancelled at the last minute as the vaccine had run out.

They said they were promised a call back first thing today to reschedule, but were still waiting by late morning.

"I can understand a short wait but running out of the vaccine is just not acceptable, surely they should only book enough people in for the amount of vaccines they have," they said.

"To be fair, the people I have spoken to have been very good, I think the problem lies higher up the chain."

The Press has asked Nimbuscare and the Vale of York Commissioning Group, which are behind the vaccination centre, what went wrong last night but has not yet received a response.

However, security staff at the site said this afternoon that vaccinations had resumed there today.