Lapland left as a sorry site

A plywood floor painted white as a mock ice rink on which children could rollerskate and a pornographic magazine fluttering among some tinsel - welcome to Lapland West Midlands.

See also: Lapland is cancelled

The only sign that Father Christmas had come to a field in Essington at lunchtime yesterday, when it was due to open, were a few pieces of tinsel wrapped around fencing posts at the entrance to what had been illegally advertised on a website as "Disney On Ice".

The promised ice rink had already been downgraded to a basic rollerskating rink consisting of a piece of white wood in a cordoned-off area within a tent.

Contractors were busy removing portable toilets and taking down lighting this afternoon.

One lighting engineer, who asked not to be named, admitted: "We haven't been paid everything yet."

The only other evidence this was a Christmas-themed event were a few plastic trees and baubles either packed into boxes or dumped at the entrances of marquees.

The tents were supposed to contain wholesome festive fun for the family but in one, on a pile of bark chippings, was a copy of a pornographic magazine.

Villagers living close to the promised Lapland-themed event in Bognop Road today claimed victory after organisers pulled the plug on it, shortly before a visit by Staffordshire County Council officials at 10.30am.

Wolverhampton councillor Malcolm Gwinnett, who works in the leisure industry, said: "It would take at least a year to plan an event this size and make it a success - I wouldn't pay 25p to get in let alone £25."

Councillor Maviss North, vice-chair of Essington Parish Council, said: "It is fantastic news that this event has been cancelled."