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New Forest Blunderland closes down
4:30pm Thursday 4th December 2008
Comments (22)THE CONTROVERSIAL Lapland New Forest has closed.
Dorset police were called to the site this morning over fears of a public order disturbance.
Police confirmed it was closing after they were called.
A sign outside the entrance to the park says New Forest Lapland has closed and urges customers to contact the organisation's website.
Reports from the entrance also say that the fun fair appears to be packing up and animals seem to be being moved off the site.
According to unconfirmed reports the attraction that has been at the centre of a storm of criticism has closed its doors to the public.
Families have been inundating trading standards with some 2,000 complaints since the site at Matchams Lane near Ringwood opened last weekend.
Reports of elves being attacked and Father Christmas being beaten up in his grotto led to scores of complaints and families refusing to go to the attraction that was charging upwards of £30 per ticket.
The attraction has been all but deserted over the past few days since the complaints started flooding in but now reports suggest the site has been closed.
A source close to the Lapland site said staff have been told it is now closed for business.
“When staff turned up at 12 o clock they were turned away from the gate and told everything was being packed up” he said.
“The donkeys and other animals are being loaded into horseboxes and the fairground is being packed up. First aid people have also been told they won’t be needed any more.
“It is chaos at the moment because the traffic situation is really bad and customers are turning up expecting Lapland to be open. There are going to be a lot of disappointed people.”
A Dorset County Council spokesman said: "We are aware that the Lapland New Forest theme park at Matchams near Ringwood has closed.
"Circumstances are not yet clear but Dorset County Council's trading standards service has not closed the site down, as it does not have the powers to do so. However, trading standards' investigations into Lapland New Forest are continuing.
"People who have bought tickets for the event and are concerned about getting a refund are advised to call Consumer Direct on 08454 040506."
Your Say YourDaily Echo
Lone Ranger, Southampton says...
2:13pm Thu 4 Dec 08
h garner, southampton says...
2:19pm Thu 4 Dec 08
s'news you loose, Christchurch says...
2:28pm Thu 4 Dec 08
Carmos, Whiteley says...
2:41pm Thu 4 Dec 08
jammyswine, Southampton says...
2:41pm Thu 4 Dec 08
h garner wrote:i think the outrage of the general public is a better guage than the reports from the media, the fact that people have lost their jobs is a shame but more down to the organisation and the agency pulling their staff out than people's reactions. I'm glad you had a good time but the majority verdict seems to differ.
I visited lapland yesterday with my two children who are aged 6 and 9. we had a wonderfull time as did my friend and her 2 children. I cannot understand what all the controvesy was about as staff were friendly the atmosphere was lovely and there was plenty of snow and things for the children to do. As for the log cabins looking more like b&q sheds, what utter nonsense! Yes the original web site was a bit over the top but they rectified that along with the other things that people made complaints about. Why was the daily echo hell bent on only reporting the negatives about the park? Surely I my friend and our children cannot be the only ones who were happy with the experience. The people at the daily echo along with other journalists from the news and national papers should be ashamed of themselves because it is down to you that thousands of childeren are going to be dissapionted because the park has now shut down aswell as tens of people now having no christmas job. Is it any wonder that hardly anyone visited after your outlandish reports of fights breaking out etc. I hope you are all very pleased with yourselves.
officer, Southampton says...
2:46pm Thu 4 Dec 08
Jayboy84, Southampton says...
2:54pm Thu 4 Dec 08
The sheer volumes of complaints to the RSPCA, police, trading standards, councils, press and the organisers left no choice but for it to be shut down. Not to mention the violent outbursts from people visiting. I think THEY should be the ones ashamed of themselves.
Thousands of children have already been disappointed by this place so shutting it down is not going to have too big an effect. If anything you are saving even more people from the horror.
PLUS due to the park being closed people will be able to have their money returned I'm sure.
The organisers are getting everything they deserve for being delboys and ripping people off in a time of hard climate.
Perhaps if they spent more on the decoration etc than on their advertising it would have paid off.
Boxing Clever, Southampton says...
3:08pm Thu 4 Dec 08
We paid £90 for myself,my wife and our little boy to go next week!
Im gutted and i doubt anyone will get there money back, its disgusting that people can rip others off especially right on christmas! How can they sleep at night, i hope they catch up with Mr Meirs and justice will be done, i expect there will be a few people looking for him anyway as he has stolen nearly 2 million pounds of our money, i feel sorry for every family and their kids, i know our son is upset.
Boxing Clever, Southampton says...
3:11pm Thu 4 Dec 08
aeliz, Southampton says...
3:12pm Thu 4 Dec 08
I am also headed along to the University of Southampton Family Christmas Party this year-panto, santa and party games for the kids sounds like it will deliver what it promises!
misty01, new milton says...
4:07pm Thu 4 Dec 08
kirsibkacey, weymouth says...
4:38pm Thu 4 Dec 08
wilsamsaints, southampton says...
4:49pm Thu 4 Dec 08
S!mon, Romsey says...
4:53pm Thu 4 Dec 08
saintslou, southampton says...
5:15pm Thu 4 Dec 08
plumbmike, Bristol says...
6:16pm Thu 4 Dec 08
4:38pm Thu 4 Dec 08
i went to lapland new forest on tuesday. i had a great time with my little girl and family. the staff were great and very kind, seeing santa i thought looked amazing in the eyes of my little girl as i have never seen her looked so amazed in her life. she thoroughly loved the day we had and the ice- skating was loads of fun. we are extremely sad that it has closed down and think that everyone shud look at it through there childrens eyes not their own as all they were doing were picking out faults that a child would never see! i went to lapland new forest on tuesday. i had a great time with my little girl and family. the staff were great and very kind, seeing santa i thought looked amazing in the eyes of my little girl as i have never seen her looked so amazed in her life. she thoroughly loved the day we had and the ice- skating was loads of fun. we are extremely sad that it has closed down and think that everyone shud look at it through there childrens eyes not their own as all they were doing were picking out faults that a child would never see!
I am so glad you had a nice time, do you not think that improvements were made by the time you got there. You are right though, people should see things through their childrens eyes. That's exactly what I did when I was there, I saw just what my crying 5 year old duaghter was distaught about when the sheds had run out of everything the food was all cold the ice rink was shut and after queing for 2 hours in the freezing cold damp to be told if you don,t pay another £10 you will only get to wave to Santa her pain threshold broken. Yep I saw all that. Most of what was advertised was not given on the first weekend. I doubt if anyone will get money back and hope Mr Mears is brought to Justice ( according to him, my 5 year old daughter is a proffesional trouble-maker). Merry Christmas all
allotment lover, soton says...
7:35pm Thu 4 Dec 08
com/2428832
S Pance, Morten Harkett says...
8:48pm Thu 4 Dec 08
Well, the website has been closed, making contact nigh on impossible!
This, on it's own says a lot about the integrity of the organiser!
skimarque, Hythe says...
9:59pm Thu 4 Dec 08
The dogs are top show dogs and are ambassordors for the Siberian Husky breed.
Lapland New Forest disappointed so many people espically children this is a wonderful chance for us to show you that Christmas with our Huskies will be a good experience.
After your visit we invite you to comment on your Husky experience.
pd7, Dorset says...
10:28pm Thu 4 Dec 08
I think the closed sign could be a legal tax reclaim . Keep the invoice.
Have a nice xmas
Quite Frankly, Southampton says...
11:16pm Thu 4 Dec 08
New Forest Lapland shuts down
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Boris Remmington, Wellow says...
1:55pm Thu 4 Dec 08
Lets pass the parcel while we try and find where the money has gone