Families left in tears as firm cancels £2,500 Christmas trip to Disneyland with just TWO DAYS' notice – and 'refuses refunds'

Angry parents claim they have demanded refunds from Day Trips Newport only to be ignored.

The coach company advertises trips to Disneyland Paris, the Harry Potter Studio Tour, Chessington World of Adventures, a number of zoos and theme parks.

But over the last week, the tour operator's Facebook page has been inundated with complaints from people who say their holiday was cancelled at the last minute.

Dad-of-six Darren Small, 38, from Newport, Gwent, paid almost £2,500 to take his family to Disneyland Paris as part of their Christmas present.

The factory worker, who has been paying off the trip in monthly instalments over a year, grew suspicious when he heard other tours had been cancelled.

Mr Small told Sun Online: "I contacted Day Trips Newport and at first they told me he had broke his foot and wasn't insured to drive.

"Then his internet was broken – it was excuse after excuse.

"By Wednesday we had had enough and I contacted the hotel to see if they had our booking on the off chance we could make our own way there.

"First of all they said they couldn't tell us until a few days before but when I explained the situation they said they had no record of our name.

"I gave them all the names I could think of – the people that run the company – anyone but still nothing.

"I was devastated. It was like a joke, I was expecting them to say we're only joking."

Mr Small said the most heartbreaking part was telling his five children who he was taking on the trip, especially six-year-old Tilly, who has autism.

He said: "I feel like we let them down. We're supposed to be there right now.

"Tilly doesn't understand. She was asking me earlier when we're going to be leaving for Disney.

"We were all packed, I had the time off work, the kids were off school and the dogs were booked for the kennels."

Mr Small, who is hoping to get his money back so he can take his family next year, added: "We bought them new clothes for this holiday but they won't fit them by then."

Mum-of-one Kelly Bevan, 34, was also booked on the same trip to stay at Disney's Hotel Santa Fe, which was due to leave today and return on Thursday.

The kitchen assistant, from Chepstow, told Sun Online: "I bought the trip as a Christmas gift for my mum and a birthday present for my daughter Imogen, who will be three in January.

"My sister was also booked on with her two girls, her partner and his son.

"But we started hearing rumours that trips were getting cancelled and when my sister contacted Newport Day Trips she was promised it was going ahead.

"I decided to ring the hotel and check and was told there was no confirmation of our booking."

Between them, the sisters shelled out £2250 to take their family on the pre-Christmas trip.

Faced with the prospect of letting their kids down, they scraped together the cash to rebook the trip independently and will fly to Paris later today.

She said: "We feel fortunate that we're still going to go but we said we'd only do this if we can get this money back because we've now had to pay double.

"There's been no apology from this company, it's just been excuse after excuse."

Melanie Jones, 47, had spent £829 to go to take her two youngest children, aged 10 and 11, to Paris.

She said: "I had scrimped and saved all year and had to get passports as well, and when I found out last week I was devastated for my kids, who cried themselves to sleep."

Rachel Davies, 41, of Cwmbran, was also supposed to be on the trip and said: “My husband’s been working away from home for a week at a time to pay for this.

"We’ve been saving for ages.”

Day Trips Newport operates using a Facebook page and organises coach trips around the UK and Europe.

Gwent Police confirmed it has was contacted by a member of the public in the Newport area last Wednesday.

In a statement on Facebook, Day Trips Newport said the matter was "in the hands of my insurance company".

A spokesperson added: "I would be unwilling to post anything in relation to these in case it jeopardises refunds/bookings."

Day Trips Newport has been contacted for comment.

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