‘Winter Blunderland’ designed by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen shuts down just nine days before Christmas – leaving furious parents up to £100 out of pocket 

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A Christmas attraction designed by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has been shut down after after a major financial back pulled out - leaving furious parents up to £100 out of pocket.

The celebrity interior designer said he was 'extremely surprised' after finding out on Twitter that the Magical Journey, based at the Belfry Hotel, in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, had closed as of today.

The festive experience has been marred with controversy since opening its doors in November and was forced to close for three days following a furious backlash from angry parents.  

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Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen (pictured centre) said he was 'extremely surprised' after finding out on Twitter that the Magical Journey had closed as of today

Presents were dumped in the corner of a marquee with a red Santa's outfit left on top at Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's Magical Journey, which has closed after a financial backer pulled out

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen said he found out about the closure of the attraction through Twitter 

Closed: The attraction has been shut down after after a major financial back pulled out - with just nine opening days left

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen (pictured) said he found the closure of the attraction 'absolutely shocking'

The furore broke out after a barrage of complaints from parents on the first day over elves smoking, rubbish being strewn across the paths and wooden pallets covered in plastic tarpaulin left lying around.

It reopened several days later after work to improve it, winning positive customer reviews - but last night the organisers said they had been 'left in the lurch' and could not find a replacement backer. 

This morning there were claims that the crisis-hit attraction crumbled under pressure to pay its staff wages of over £100,000 per month - just nine days before Christmas.

Angry parents have been told to contact their card providers for refunds with many buying tickets for their entire families.

Mr Llewelyn-Bowen said he had not given any financial support to the project and was unaware who the backer was.

He said: 'It's absolutely shocking. We found out by Twitter. Everybody was in bed feeling Christmassy and now we are not feeling very Christmassy at all.

'I was really impressed with the way they addressed all the issues the first time around and the energy and resources that went into it so I'm extremely surprised the towel's been thrown in at this stage.

'I feel appalling it is not the happy experience I really want it to be. I feel extremely sorry for everybody let down in the next nine days and also for the staff who worked on the front-line. I'm hoping they will get their money back.

Scenes like this greeted visitors when the site first opened. Despite a raft of measures to make improvements, the attraction has now been closed with just nine days left before Christmas

Mr Llewelyn-Bowen (pictured) said he had not given any financial support to the project and was unaware who the backer was

Organisers said those who had bought tickets would need to contact their own debit or credit card providers to claim a refund through the Chargeback scheme

'On a personal level I was so excited by the idea of designing Christmas. It seemed a perfect opportunity. I really did feel (organiser) Paul Dolan and his team were the right people to do it.

'In hindsight they absolutely were not experienced enough for this sort of event.

'I was just commissioned to create some design concepts for the experience. There was no financial backing from my point of view and no involvement in the management.

'I feel very much I was the designer and I'm a very public face so people are cross with me.'

The presenter added he would be donating his fee, the amount of which he would not confirm, to a Birmingham children's hospice and said: 'I do not want to make any money at all out of this experience.' 

Gemma Eales said she had paid almost £100 to attend the winter wonderland in what was supposed to be a pre-Christmas treat for children Ben, nine, Toby, six and Lucy, five.

But she and husband Richard were left stunned when they received an email today telling her the Magical Journey was closing for good due to financial difficulties.

'I’m not very happy.' she said. 'I was quite upset when I rang my bank, and they explained I’ll have to fill out some forms, and they’ll take some time to process.

'It will be January by the time I get a refund, if I get one at all. The email was quite abrupt, and it seems unfair when you have saved up for it.

'My daughter Lucy has been quite poorly this year- having tonsilitis more than 10 times – so we wanted to do something really special for her.

'I have been looking on websites of everywhere I can think of but they are all booked up.

The attraction had to be shut down after a catastrophic flop on its opening day in November following negative feedback from visitors on social media

Gemma Eales said she paid almost £100 to attend the attraction in what was supposed to be a pre-Christmas treat for children Ben, nine, Toby, six and Lucy, five. She is pictured with Ben (left) and Toby (centre)

Packing up: Workers could be seen removing furniture from the site this morning - hours after families had been told the attraction had been closed early

'I was fuming this morning, but I am trying to stay calm now. I’ll have to break my news to my daughter when I pick her up from school later. She was really excited about it, and i’m afraid she is going to be really disappointed. 

Mother-of-two Ellie Gallagher, 36, had booked to visit the attraction on Sunday with her children Zak, six, and Jess, nine.

The beautician, from Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, said: 'We are fuming really. One of our children is nine and this is the last year she can really enjoy the magic of Christmas. So we were really excited.

'We are devastated because we organised this back in October and we were really looking forward to it.

'There is no guarantee we will get our money back yet. We are really sad. It has put a dampener on Christmas.'

Kayleigh Parsons, 27, turned up at the attraction today only to be turned away after travelling from Lichfield, Staffordshire.

She added: 'My daughter is distraught. She wanted to meet Santa. It has ruined Christmas and they have been an absolute shambles. It's a disgrace really.'

Organisers spent three days loading the Magical Journey with extra fake snow to improve on the opening day

But pictures later showed the fake snow had dissolved into mud in some parts during the previous night's downpour

Some took to social media to vent their frustration. 

Annie Hawkins wrote: 'Absolutely disgusting. How are parents who have told their children about the event, going to explain the "cancellation". Should be ashamed.'

Kelly Haney posted: 'This is just disgraceful!!!!! I have a little girl who thinks she is going on a magical journey on Wednesday!! How do you explain to her she’s not going on a magical journey no more??'

The £22.50-a-child Magical Journey had been plagued by difficulties since opening amid an avalanche of criticism in November.

An improvement drive saw Santa Claus hauled in for extra training. Bosses also conceded it was 'possible' that visitors had seen some elves smoking.

And they admitted a festive train broke down after running out of fuel.

Last weekend the organisers were forced to suspend the review section of the attraction's website after claiming 'negative' comments had been posted by people who had not visited the wonderland. 

A statement on the Magical Journey's website said: 'We are really sorry to have to tell you this, but as of tomorrow (Tuesday 16 December 2014) The Magical Journey, based at The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, will no longer be in operation.

'We are truly sorry. After all we've been through having to shutdown in the final week is devastating. Although we had quite the time of it in the press and on social media, feedback was great with over 600 four and five star reviews.

'However, today a key financial backer has dropped out leaving us in the lurch. We have tried desperately over the last few hours to find a replacement but to no avail.

The furore broke out after a barrage of complaints from parents on the first day over elves smoking, rubbish being strewn across the paths and wooden pallets covered in plastic tarpaulin left lying around

Last night the organisers said they had been 'left in the lurch' and could not find a replacement financial back

Organisers have told ticket holders not to call the Belfry Hotel, where the attraction was operating, as it has 'no affiliation' to the Magical Journey

'We are very sorry to have to break the news like this but we have explored all our options, and the situation leaves us with no alternative other than close The Magical Journey. 

'Please do not contact The Belfry Hotel as they have no affiliation to the Magical Journey and they will not be able to assist you in any way.'

Organisers said those who had bought tickets would need to contact their own debit or credit card providers to claim a refund through the Chargeback scheme.

An automated message on the attractions phone line said all customers who had booked for the next nine days would receive an email about how to get a refund.

A source alleged this morning that the company employed around 200 people and was forced to close suddenly to ensure it could pay its employees for the time they had already worked.

The source, who worked with the attraction, said bosses were unable to find a replacement at short notice after the financial backer pulled out.

It is understood staff will not receive payments for days they will no longer be working.

The closure comes just days after a separate winter attraction, Yorkshire’s Magical Winterland temporarily closed a day after opening at the event centre in Harrogate. 

Parents claimed their children were left in tears as they entered a desolate warehouse with cardboard boxes and random material strewn all over the ground.

The attraction re-opened for the final time on Friday with organisers saying it was shutting for good 'with great regret'.