A GRANDMOTHER who paid for Mickey and Minnie Mouse characters to visit her beloved grandchildren says she feels “angry and upset” after they never turned up.

Toni Coulson paid £65 for Bobby, four, and Teddy, 11, to be paid an extra special visit on Christmas Eve from their favourite Disney characters.

But she said she was “gutted” when Colchester-based business Bizzell’s Mascots, Balloons and Events failed to turn up leaving her festive plans which she had crafted for months shattered.

After paying for the service back in September, Mrs Coulson, 54, was let down by the company but decided to forgive its owner and agreed to rearrange for December instead.

She was guaranteed a special evening…only for her messages to be left unanswered on the big day.

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Amelia Bizzell, who runs the company, now says she is in the process of refunding customers and said she is struggling with her own personal crisis at home.

But Mrs Coulson says the situation has left her grandchildren feeling let down adding: “All my little ones want to do is have a cuddle with Mickey and that never happened.”

The grandmother made the plans after having to remain apart from her family last Christmas due to coronavirus restrictions at the time.

She added: “After last year when we couldn’t be together, I wanted to do something really special.

“I feel angry and upset that part of my evening I had planned for so many months was taken away by someone who can do that to children.

“It certainly left a hole in my plans which made me sad.”

Miss Bizzell, who has run her business for two years, however, says claims have been exaggerated and she has always been proud of the job she has done.

She added: “Unfortunately I’ve hit a tough time in my life where I have fallen out with my family.

“When I took these bookings on I had every true intention of fulfilling them, but as time went on everyone refused to take me to them.

“I don’t drive so unfortunately it left me unable to fulfil the bookings which I was devastated about.

“The majority of people have now received a full refund but I still have a few to make.”