AN Anchorsholme resident is counting the cost of a dream trip to Paris which never came true.

Just after New Year, Mrs Jean Roberts answered publicity from a Fleetwood travel company for a Blackpool Tower to Eiffel Tower coach trip, said to be helping raise funds for a local animal sanctuary.

Two days later a man came to her home to collect two £35 fares for herself and her sister for the January trip, which included an overnight stay.

"I thought it was unusual that he came to the house," said Mrs Roberts. "He then said the figure was wrong and it should have been £45, but I said I would only pay what was in the paper.

"He gave me a receipt and said I'd get instructions nearer the date. I never heard anything more and his phone number did not work. Three days before the departure date I managed to get a message to him and he rang me back to say not enough people had booked and the trip had been postponed to February.

"Come February I tried to contact him again and was told the firm had gone into liquidation on January 10.

"I've lost my money and I just want to warn other people not to be conned like I was."

A spokesman for the animal sanctuary, which did not want to be named, said they had been duped too.

The same man had contacted them asking if they would like to benefit from the coach trip, even offering two complimentary tickets.

One person had gone to the expense of getting a passport for the trip which never materialised. Lancashire's chief trading standards officer, Jim Potts, said he would be investigating the case. "If accommodation is included as part of a package then the company is required by law to be bonded so that the customer is protected in cases like this," he said.

"We always advise people to go through recognised travel agents with ABTA or similar bonding."

A spokesman for the firm now occupying the travel company's former premises said the previous tenant had disappeared owing rent and wages as well as customers' money.

Neither the company nor the man are being named for legal reasons, but the Citizen sought a comment from the man, now said to be in South Yorkshire. He failed to respond.

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