PARTYGOERS banged their cutlery on tables after claiming their Christmas cabaret night had turned into a foodless fiasco.

One group say they only got one tray of brussels sprouts and carrots to share between 14, while other diners left without getting any food.

The Christmas cabaret night at Brassingtons in Burnley Road, Altham, cost £25.50 per head - and revellers want their money back.

A group of 14 workers from BAe Systems, Samlesbury, said they only received their starters and a small tray of vegetables.

Another party from the Haslingden BJJC Martial Arts group claim they did not get any food and said people were banging their knives and forks in protest.

Debra Ashton, 33, of Monk Street, Accrington, a worker at BAe Systems said: "It was atrocious. We were supposed to be eating at around 7.30pm but were waiting in the bar until 9pm and we couldn't use the toilets because they were flooded.

"We got some starters at around 9.30pm and one and a half hours later they came with a tray of brussels sprouts and carrots which were rock hard. That is all we got. We went to complain at 11.15pm but all they said was that they had problems in the kitchen.

"It was not just our party that was affected. Some got food but others didn't get anything."

Bob Loughland was in a party of 19 people from the BJJC Martial Arts group.

Mr Loughland, of Hillside Road, Haslingden, said: "Everyone in the place was banging their knives and forks on the table. We paid £25.50 per head which was supposed to be for food and cabaret.

"We were supposed to eat at 8pm, but by 10.30pm we still hadn't had anything to eat, so we decided to go home and get some food. "The whole night was ruined. People had arranged baby-sitters so they could go, and we took a minibus right round Rossendale picking our friends up.

"No one even came round to say what was happening or to apologise. They said they would get round to people but we couldn't wait any longer. Some other groups were served starters, but that was all. It was a total shambles.

"There were queues of people waiting to see the management and we were told they would send our money back. But when I phoned up on the Monday, they just told us to write in and they would look at our claim. It seemed they were fobbing us off."

A spokeswoman for Brassingtons, which is owned by Blentford Ltd, Manchester, said: "There were one or two problems in the kitchen and one or two parties were taken through late. But the chef said that all the food went out.

"My bosses have asked people to put complaints in writing and the problems will be addressed in a proper manner."

She said that the toilets were blocked in the lounge bar and an emergency plumber could not fix them because he needed to work from the outside and it was too dark.

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