TRADING standards bosses are taking advice from a specialist barrister and the Office of Fair Trading as they consider legal action against the organisers of a controversial winter wonderland attraction.

They believe the people behind Lapland New Forest have “misled” customers.

At the attraction in Matchams near Ringwood yesterday there was a lone security guard on duty. It followed a dramatic day on Thursday when the theme park closed down.

Parents and children witnessed security staff manhandling an elf, who had demanded to be let in to speak to Santa.

Thousands of families who have booked tickets right up to Christmas Eve have been left with no idea whether they will get their money back.

Matchams director Frederick Nash has already said there was “not a snowball’s chance in hell” Lapland would be back next year.

Lapland New Forest director Victor Mears blamed the closure on sabotage, inaccurate media reporting, and the cutting of funds by merchant company Streamline.

A spokesman for Streamline, which is part of RBS, said: “We took the appropriate action and in accordance with the terms and conditions agreed with the customer. Any suggestion this action was illegal is completely unfounded.”

Trading standards officers in the Midlands are checking if an event opening today with a similar website is connected to Lapland New Forest.

Lapland West Midlands is being held at Essington in Staffordshire. The Lapland New Forest website domain name was sold off at 11.55pm on Thursday, and now carries information on a website hosting company.

A sled dog owner says his reputation is in tatters after he became caught up in the storm.

Some visitors complained that the creatures looked “agitated”

and the RSPCA was called in to investigate. But inspectors found nothing wrong and Nigel Garner, whose Greentrail team of dogs has performed in highlevel race competitions, insists the animals were healthy and well looked after.

The ex-teacher, from Andover, said: “My reputation in the sled dog world has effectively been destroyed by a handful of people who know nothing about looking after the animals. I had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the park – we were there purely and simply to provide the sled dog experience.”