A driver went to sleep on a hard shoulder whilst waiting to pick up his friend from Manchester Airport.

Police said the driver was woken by officers and moved on.

North West Motorway Police said: “If you’re picking someone up from Manchester Airport please go to the allocated parking areas.

“Don’t do what one driver has done. He thought it was acceptable to park up on the hard shoulder, wait for his friend… and go to sleep!  Driver woken up by and reported.”

Drivers collecting someone from the airport are charged of £6.00 for 30 minutes and £12 for one hour.

Anyone dropping a passenger off at the airport is asked to use free drop off areas at JetParks 1, with an on-demand shuttle bus to terminal 1. Further drop offs are charged £5 for five minutes and £6 for 10 minutes. An overstay charge of £25.00 is charged after 10 minutes.

Some Twitter users were quick to point out these 'extortionate' parking costs at the airport.

@rassmallai said: "Could you have a word with the airport and ask them to stop robbing people blind with their extortion for the audacity of the public to give family and friends a lift to the airport."

@Mikey7Moore said: "Shame on you robbing people of their hard earned money."

Others praised the police actions for saving the driver's life.

@peternotails posted: "I think he robbed himself when he decided to stop on the hard shoulder which is reserved for an emergency thus putting himself and others at risk. The police may have even saved his life by waking him up before someone crashed into him."