ANGRY customers are expected to demand answers today at a long-awaited Lapland New Forest creditors’ meeting.

More than 5,000 disgruntled ticket holders have sought advice on refunds arising from the controversial Christmas theme park where elves were seen fighting and Santa was spotted on a cigarette break.

Some, who paid by credit and debit cards, have secured refunds but many others are still out of pocket after paying up to hundreds of pounds for family and group tickets.

However only 300 will be admitted to Southampton’s Novotel Hotel this morning, amid tight security, for an anticipated showdown with boss Victor Mears.

The 65-year-old from Brighton is the company’s sole director and compelled, by law, to chair the meeting which is likely to rubber stamp the appointment of Grant Thornton as liquidators.

However Mr Mears has previously said that the predicted £1m profit has gone and Grant Thornton has warned that customers are unlikely to get their money back.

The ill-fated Matchams attraction, which was supposed to run throughout the festive period, closed on December 4 following an unprecedented number of complaints. The firm blamed its bank, sabotage, “crowd manipulation” and the media for what Dorset County Council’s trading standards manager Ivan Hancock branded “an unmitigated disaster”.

Live updates from the creditors' meeting - click here Trading standards have launched their own investigation into Lapland New Forest. Mr Hancock said: “We are in touch with other enforcement agencies and the focus of our investigation is whether there was a breach of trading standards legislation.”

His department is taking advice from a barrister and the Office of Fair Trading on how to take legal action against Lapland New Forest for “misleading” customers.