A mum who was left crying and shaking after being "held hostage" inside a petrol station for an hour has pledged to seek justice through the courts.

Odette Browning called police after being locked inside the Esso garage in Watling Street, Gillingham, after a problem with her phone payment going through.

Officers have since come back to the 40-year old saying the male member of staff who "imprisoned" her wanted to write a letter of apology.

But Odette – still shocked by the incident two weeks later – said: "Sorry's not good enough.

"It was not just five minutes of scare-mongering. He left me in a vulnerable situation for an hour."

She wants the man charged and has said if the Crown Prosecution Service does not pursue the matter she and husband Ryan Wallace will take up a private case for false imprisonment.

The accountant is prepared to pay the court fees, has sought legal advice and has a witness lined up.

Odette, of St Andrew's Road in the town, still hasn't been able to face filling up her car at a garage since.

She said: "I still can't believe it, I'm still trying to piece together what was he thinking.

She'd gone to pay with her phone because she didn't have a card on her, but it was repeatedly declined.

The mum-of-three offered to leave her ID and do the 10-minute drive to her home to grab another payment method.

But she was told to either leave her phone or car and walk home.

She didn't want to leave the brand new mobile and was uncomfortable walking 40 minutes in the dark.

The Esso worker reportedly said his boss would not allow him to authorise her to leave without complying.

She explained: "After he said that I told him that I was going to have to leave to sort out the payment but then he said 'no, you're not' and locked the doors at 6.30pm.

"As more time went on, the more I started to feel agitated and intimidated. My legs started shaking and I started crying. So I called the police."

An hour later officers arrived as did Ryan who paid the £50 needed.

She added: "After we'd left, the police stayed there because they said they were going to arrest him.

"I wasn't rude and I wasn't causing him any aggro whatsoever so I just don't understand why he did this."

A police spokesman previously said: "We were called to a dispute between a customer and an employee at a petrol station.

"I still can't believe it, I'm still trying to piece together what was he thinking."

"Officers attended and the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident are ongoing."

KentOnline has repeatedly contacted the garage and its management company for comment about the incident.

The only received response was from a manager, who did not wish to be named, saying: "It is all sorted. It wasn't a big police incident and there is no comment at all."