Tempers flare over shabby Lapland

Trading standards officials in Britain have received more than 2,000 complaints about a Christmas attraction which has seen several ill-tempered incidents, with reports of Santa having been punched in the face.

Lapland New Forest opened on November 28 in Dorset, charging visitors up to £30 (€35) to enter.

Local media have however been inundated with customer complaints claiming chaotic queues and reports of violence flaring at the site. One security guard told BBC News he had quit in shame.

Adrian Wood said: “Santa got attacked, one of the elves got smacked in the face and pushed into a pram. I was punched in the forehead in the ticket office by an irate customer.

“I was ashamed to work there, really, really ashamed. They have been ripped off,” he said.

Many visitors have complained that a “magical tunnel of light” turned out to be a line of trees with lights on them and log cabins resembled DIY sheds. Reindeer and huskies were also penned up or tethered almost out of sight - prompting complaints to the RSPCA – and an ice rink was not working.

The attraction organiser denied that visitors had been ripped off but admitted family illness and unreliable staff had caused problems initially.