A young mum has condemned the landlords of The Bull pub in East Farleigh after they let down her step-children and younger sister who were excitedly waiting to see Santa.

Charlotte Henderson from Maidstone had paid £40 in advance plus £8 travelling costs to The Bull after booking a "doorstop Santa" visit for the three children.

She said: "The Bull had promised Santa would visit with his elves and Mickey Mouse.

"The children were all ready and waiting."

But as the time ticked further and further past the scheduled 11am appointment, Miss Henderson made repeatedly frantic attempts to The Bull to try to find out what had happened.

She said: "They read my Facebook messages but didn't respond. No-one picked up the phone at the pub."

She eventually realised they weren't coming when the pub's answerphone message that had been still advertising the doorstop Santa visits was suddenly changed and all reference deleted.

She said: "My little sister Sophia was very upset. She couldn't understand what she had done wrong that Santa didn't want to come to visit her."

Her step-daughters, Sophie, six, and Lucie, four, were equally disappointed.

Miss Henderson said: "They have ruined our kids' Christmas."

Colin Winstone, who runs the pub with his partner Daniel Garfield, said: "We have done around 150 Santa visits - from as far a field as Ashford and almost near the Dartford crossing - and those that have received them have been very happy.

"Sadly occasionally errors do occur."

The Henderson family were not the only family to be disappointed. Social media was alive over the weekend with other parents complaining.

Mr Winstone said: "People are always very quick to slate us over social media. They don't realise that the hospitality industry is on its knees and they seem to soon forget all the good that we do for the community all year round."

He said: "We have been offering free food throughout the lockdown, and free Christmas meals on Christmas day for the vulnerable."

The pub in Lower Road had already annoyed villagers by advertising a Winter Wonderland every Friday and Saturday throughout December, which had been due to start on Friday, December 4.

The event was to have included Santa's Grotto and a Christmas market, but it was cancelled at short notice.

Mr Winstone said: "We had planned the Christmas markets even before the second lockdown. There was a lot of ambiguity from Maidstone council over whether we could go ahead or not."

"At first we were told we could, then they took the view that because the event was in the pub's car park and pubs had to be closed, it couldn't happen."

He said: "Those who had booked a slot to visit the grotto were offered a Santa doorstep visit instead. Most people were happy with that. Those that weren't we have been giving full refunds."

He said that 95% of people who had asked for their money back had already received it.

But that was not the experience of Lisa Davidson from Midhurst Court in Maidstone.

She said: "I paid £34 over the phone to The Bull to book a visit to the grotto this coming Friday for myself, my eight-year-old daughter Destiny and her nine-year-old friend, Frankie."

"The pub still has not notified me to tell me the grotto is not happening, although clearly it isn't."

Mrs Davidson said repeated attempts to phone and message the pub had been ignored and she had still received no refund.

She said: "My daughter is so disappointed. It's been a horrible year with holidays and other events cancelled because of Covid. Now this."

Sarah Neill said much the same: "Santa’s grotto cancelled and Santa doorstep visits not happening.

"The Bull have taken everyone’s money for both these events, both are not happening, and they are completely uncontactable.

"I have tickets booked for Christmas which I paid £19 for. They are not responding to messaging, or emails. I know times are difficult, but if you can’t do it, don’t take the money!"

Mr Winstone said: "We have made it clear over social media that we will make announcements every Wednesday before that weekend.

"Especially this week, awaiting the announcement, guidelines and its structure.

"These are ever-changing guidelines, for example, London going to Tier 3 before the announcement today. I feel it only appropriate to present our customers with factual information not ambiguity."

Meanwhile the pub's website is still advertising their next event - a Disney Wonderland due to start on Friday, January 1, and to run every Friday and Saturday through the month. Bookings for a two-hour slot are offered at £15 a child and £5 per adult.

Asked whether he expected the Disney Wonderland event to go ahead, Mr Winstone was unable to say definitely.

He said: "Who can say? No-one knows at the moment what the regulations will be in the New Year, but if we can do it, we will.

"You can't just give up."

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