PARENTS have complained their children were left in tears after an “appalling” Christmas lights switch-on with no festive tree or Santa Claus.
Revellers at Festival Place shopping centre in Basingstoke, Hampshire, slammed organisers for lighting-up an owl saying there was “nothing Christmassy about it”.
While children from a local primary school were invited to perform in a parade – but it was called off without warning, furious parents claimed.
They say their kids, who had been practising a routine, “panicked and crying” after being “abandoned” in disused shop – and missing out on the festivities.
There was even more disappointment when electronic coloured wristbands given to the crowd for the chance to win £100 suffered a technical fault.
It resulted in several people, including children, attempting to claim the prize only to be told that they had malfunctioned and they were scrapping the competition.
People also blasted the annual event for having a light-up owl rather than a Christmas tree, and getting Snow White – played by Strictly star Dani Harmer – to switch it on.
After the event on Friday, visitors took to social media to share their experience and vent their fury.
James Waine wrote on Facebook: “Such a shambles!! Event organisers obviously a bunch of amateurs with no event hosting or planning skills.
“Would love to see their risk assessments for health and safety. Needs to be an investigation and report of the melee I have just witnessed!”
Dani Natasha Dacey said: “Nothing Christmasay about it! Where the hell was Santa or a bloody Christmas tree?? Such a disappointment for the centre.”
Carly Woodhams added: “Worst Christmas switch on ever! I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many children crying whilst watching lights being switched on!”
Lauren Heidi Bridgeman said her eight-year-old daughter was “in floods of tears” after being told her wristband had malfunctioned and there was no prize.
Laura O’Neill’s daughter was among the school children who didn’t get to take part in the promised parade.
She said: “It was the most disorganised it’s ever been and my daughter was panicked and crying that she wanted to go home.”
“So disappointing for our children to be invited to be part of a parade and taught a dance at school only to get trapped in a disused side room for 45 mins and then herded like cattle through an awful crowd.”
She added: “It was confusing scary and awful for them and they couldn’t see what was happening.”
A statement from Festival Place said: “This year’s Festival Place Christmas was planned to have a new focus with a parade event followed by six weeks of fun from the lights switch-on through to 24 December.
“The Winter Woodland launch was incredibly well supported by the local community, but that did make the centre very busy and some planned elements of the parade couldn’t happen – safety is always a priority.
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“We were most disappointed that the children of Hatch Warren Infant School didn’t get to perform the routine they had worked hard on, and are in touch with the headteacher to see how we can best make it up to them.
“Unfortunately there was a technical fault with the wristbands which we couldn’t have foreseen and this meant we regrettably couldn’t launch the competition as planned.
“Following this we have donated all of the prize money to a local charity, St Michael’s Hospice, our nominated charity.
“Festival Place is now decked out for the season, there’s a superb grotto for the little ones and lots more fun to come – we’re really looking forward to welcoming visitors to celebrate all that we have to offer this Christmas.”
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News Pictures Children left in tears after ‘appalling’ Basingstoke Christmas lights switch-on with no festive tree or Santa Claus
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