Families told to swerve ‘scam’ Christmas event in Coventry

Families told to swerve ‘scam’ Christmas event in Coventry – CoventryLive (coventrytelegraph.net)

An urgent warning has been made to people not to buy tickets for a ‘scam’ Christmas event due to take place in Coventry. Coventry City Council has confirmed to CoventryLive that the Christmas Festival of Light event, advertised online as taking place in Hearsall Common next month, has not been licenced or given any official approval.

The city council said it Trading Standards department was aware of the alleged event and was urging people not to buy tickets. It is being promoted on Facebook and also at www.christmasfestivaloflight.com, which says: “Packed with festive cheer, some of the UK’s fastest and most thrilling rides, rollercoasters, Fairground favourites for all ages.

“Santa aka Father Christmas can be found in his beautiful Grotto. Plenty of children’s rides, funhouses, giant slides, game stalls and lots of other fun things to do…it’s a great day out and fantastic festive fun for all the family!”

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Coventry is not the only area to have been targeted. A Christmas Festival of Light was promoted as taking place in Portsmouth. Again, the local council said it had not been made aware of the event and, when the organisers were challenged, the Facebook page was deleted.

Some people bought tickets and were left devastated and out of pocket when they found of the event was a cruel hoax. Shelley Andrews told CoventryLive: “The Coventry festival of light is a scam. It ran on Facebook in Portsmouth and I, for one, fell for it.”

The local newspaper picked up on the bogus showpiece: “Within hours of the Portsmouth News reporting on this, the page had been deactivated and no one else got ripped off,” Shelley added.

“They (the organisers) reactivated the page two days later in Coventry and have been blocking and deleting anyone who calls them out for being a scam.”

‘Do not be tempted to buy tickets’

The Coventry event is billed as being held from December 7 and January 7, 2023. In a statement, Coventry City Council said: “We have been made aware of an event being advertised as taking place in Coventry over Christmas.

“The Christmas Festival of Light at Hearsall Common has not been given approval and as far as we know is not planned to take place. We have not been approached about a booking for the Common.

“Trading Standards are aware – but people who see it being promoted are asked not to be tempted to book tickets.”

CoventryLive has approached the Christmas Festival of Light for a comment.