A FIVE-YEAR-OLD girl was left heartbroken and in tears after being turned away from a Christmas party where she expected to meet Santa.
Keziah Scott-Bell and her baby cousin Molly Varney turned up in their party dresses for the function at the historic 14th century Balgonie Castle in Fife.
However, despite clutching a £12.50 ticket that she had bought and paid for online and in good faith, Keziah’s mum Keren Scott said her daughter was turned away because of a ticket “mix-up” that meant her name was not on the event organisers’ list.
A heated confrontation followed which resulted in police being called.
Last night, however, the owners of Balgonie Castle said they had been “polite as possible” and claimed the mother had acted inappropriately by “screaming her head off”.
They claimed blame for wider ticketing problems lay with event organisers Sherry Creations of Glenrothes, who had pulled out at the last minute.
Keren (26), of Leven, told The Courier: “We turned up with my daughter and niece all dressed up in their party clothes. However, when we got there, we were told her name wasn’t on the list.
“Even though I had showed the woman the Saturday ticket I had brought with me, she didn’t care and told us to leave.”
Ms Scott said she was told that the other party organiser had sold more tickets than she should have.
“She wouldn’t allow us in because of this and wouldn’t be issuing us a refund,” she went on.
“I have since found this to be untrue and the reason we weren’t on the list was because of a ticket mix-up in dates on their end. I have proof of receipt from the co-organiser who had to pull out.”
Miss Scott said she accepts mistakes happen but believes this is something that could have been easily rectified as there was plenty of space to allow her daughter to attend.
She added: “By this point both myself and my daughter were in tears as she was so disappointed. She asked why does Santa not want her at his party and is still worried that she may have been naughty.”
Miss Scott said she was taken into a room for a cup of tea by one of the volunteers.
However, she said the police were called, adding: “The police were very nice and said sorry, but the only thing they could advise was to go through the small claims court.
“Everyone couldn’t believe she wouldn’t let one child into the party due to a mix-up that was no fault of her own.
“The money is annoying. However, the disappointment and fear in my daughter was heart breaking.”
Contacted by The Courier, Kelly Whittaker fiance of Lord and Lady Balgonie’s son Stuart Morris of Balgonie said that in the run-up to the children’s parties on December 14 and 15, event organiser and caterer Sherry Creations of Glenrothes had pulled out, leaving Balgonie to run the parties themselves. This had followed a disagreement over use of castle facilities.
Ms Whittaker said Sherry had marketed capacity for 52 children at each of the parties. However, on Friday whilst there was enough food for 52 children, approximately 150 people had turned up including many ticketless adults for what was supposed to be a children’s party.
Amid concerns that there may have been extra tickets printed for the Saturday, she said the police had advised the castle to turn people away if they were not on the original ticketing list left to them by Sherry Creations.
Keziah Scott, she said, had not been on that list and was subsequently refused entry.
She added:”I deeply regret what happened but I was advised by police to take action. I was abiding by what police officers told me to do.”
Sherry Cooke, proprietor of Sherry Creations, said a “simple error” had led to the Scotts’ ticket being listed under Friday instead of Saturday.
She said they had pulled out because of a disagreement over kitchen costs and a family bereavement. She said it was “certainly nothing fraudulent”.
malexander@thecourier.co.ukSee Saturday’s Courier for more on this story