Picture diary by mum at Lapland row attraction (From Daily Echo)

Picture diary by mum at Lapland row attraction

8:27am Monday 1st December 2008

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A HAMPSHIRE mum has described the New Forest Lapland Christmas attraction as “disgusting” and a “joke”.

Grace Tyrell from Fareham visited the festive theme park which promises to ‘Make Christmas dreams come true for children of all ages’ with her six-year-old daughter and husband, along with some friends.

Together they paid £150 to visit the attraction which left them queuing in freezing cold temperatures and facing health and safety concerns with overflowing toilets and food and rubbish littering the grounds.

Mrs Tyrell said: “Like all other visitors, are completely disgusted, especially given the wasted £150 spent by us at this time of year.

“This was disorganised chaos with hardly any staff available to help or direct us to the event (and certainly not Seamus the Elf advertised on the website.”

Mrs Tyrell was so outraged by the park that she took photos of the attraction and sent them in to the Daily Echo.

“We queued for two hours in the freezing cold for two minutes with Santa, by which time many people had given up and left. I could not bring myself to leave the queue as my six-year-old would have been so disappointed to miss Santa.

“There were no staff helping the queue or talking to members of the public nor were there staff in the hut when we finally got in - Santa was by himself, with a toy deer on the floor and a fireplace set up.

“We had to queue outside the girls gift shop for a further 15 minutes to choose Santa's gift”

“Staff were grumbling to each other about all the complaints they were getting, and verbal abuse, the site was a mess and no one seemed to be cleaning up the left food and drinks which were lying around for the full two hours we queued for Santa.

“Bread rolls etc all left in the rain for hours.

“My six year old commented that no one was tidying up the mess!”

“In the ladies toilets in the food area, we could not use the toilets as they were full to the seat, and my six-year-old daughter was disgusted and crying by this stage.

“There were lots of health and safety issues, and we took photos of the area when you first arrive where you view the huskies.

“The children have to climb over muddy tyres and black cables- this definitely breaches health and safety rules.

“The nativity scene was a picture on a painted wall which was viewed from a distance and which had everyone we met, laughing.

“The entire day was a joke, and I know everyone else thought so.

“The crowds amused themselves as there were hardly any staff and they looked stressed out.

“One man came up and down the queues saying that the staff had just found out they would not get paid until 24 Dec, and they weren't being allowed breaks, so planned to walk out at close of play today, so we don't even know if it will open tomorrow.

“My six-year-old has been coughing since we left and lying wrapped up in blankets all evening. This is definitely an experience to forget, but we are very reluctant to lose £150 over this scam which should at least have been assessed by local authorities before it opened.”

Do you have photos or video of the New Forest Lapland?

Email the Daily Echo at newsdesk@dailyecho.co.uk

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