THE organisers of the controversial Lapland New Forest Christmas theme park are being investigated following hundreds of complaints.

Trading standards officers are conducting site visits and studying promotional literature to see if any rules have been broken at the Matchams attraction.

Dorset County Council’s divisional trading standards manager Ivan Hancock said: “I’ve never known anything to spark so many complaints in 20 years working with three different authorities.

“In the South East region alone 1,300 people contacted us.

“I’ve heard of someone spending £3,000 on tickets and terrible stories of real human misery like a terminally ill grandparent taking all their grandchildren to the park.

“They were selling dreams on their website but the picture portrayed fell a long way short of the real experience.”

The RSPCA is also involved after receiving more than a dozen complaints about the alleged treatment of animals at the site.

And an employment agency has pulled staff out amid fears for their safety.

Farcical scenes at the weekend saw “elves” involved in scuffles with furious parents in a “gingerbread house” and Father Christmas punched in his grotto, according to angry customers who are now demanding their money back.

One parent complained her children even stumbled across “Santa” during a smoking break at the back of his grotto.

Hundreds of people had paid £30 each or £100 for a family of four.

But many who braved the cold over the weekend were shocked to find the attraction did not live up to its billing and are hoping to get their money back. The attraction was put on by Lapland New Forest Ltd, based in Brighton.

Some of the staff were provided by an agency, Richard Events, which has since advised its staff to leave.

Managing director Sue Holzher said: “Our staff have been so good and they were getting tarred seriously by the complaints and we could not put their safety at risk. The girl that got slapped was an elf. Two elves in the gingerbread house were threatened.”

But speaking on Radio Solent, Mr Mears defended Lapland New Forest. He said: “I just think it’s beautiful. There were loads and loads of other people who really enjoyed it.”