'Belle's Brides' launch fundraising page after Huthwaite wedding store closes overnight
Brides in Nottinghamshire have set up a fundraising page to help cover costs lost due to the sudden closure of a bridal shop in Huthwaite – which has left many brides out of pocket and without a dress for their big day.
Your Chad has been approached by several brides in the area who allege that scores of women have been left without a dress after bridal shop La Belle Boutique in Huthwaite closed its doors overnight without warning.
A fundraising page – www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-la-belle-brides-scam-victims – with a target of £5,000 for all wedding parties affected has been set up on GoFundMe under the name ‘Belle’s Brides’.
According to one bride-to-be, Ashlie Waller, whose father spent £2,000 on her dream wedding dress in February, said she first found out about the closure through an Instagram story shared by a friend and still does not have her dress or any money back from the shop.
Countless other women in the area have since come forward alleging to be out of pocket and without a wedding dress as a result of the closure, as Ashlie said she is aware of at least 30 women affected.
Ashlie, who works for the NHS, was left “heartbroken” by the incident as she felt “angry and let down” by an independent business who she thought had her best interests at heart.
Customers affected have also launched a group chat to discuss their experiences and share support following the shock closure.
Several other bridal businesses in the area have offered their support to help women locate their dresses or find alternatives before their big day.
Since the news first broke last week when the bridal company was shown as active on Companies House, Ashlie said heartbroken customers have been informed that the company has now gone into insolvency.
She said that since it's “unlikely that brides will receive their money back”, this was the main reason for creating the collective fundraising page.
Anderson Strong, the liquidation company, has been approached for a comment.
The company still remains ‘active’ on Companies House as of Monday, July 29, but when asked about the status of the business on Tuesday, July 23, a spokesman said Companies House could not comment on individual businesses.
The spokesman said that if a business was in the hands of liquidators, it would be listed as “inactive” on their website.
Nottinghamshire Police is currently looking into the matter to assess whether a criminal offence has taken place.
In the wake of the closure, a spokesperson said: “To get a full picture of what has happened – we need as many people affected as possible to get in touch with us.
“Once we have all our evidence it will be reviewed to decide if there has been any criminal dishonesty that we can prove in a court of law.”
For details on how to contact Nottinghamshire Police, visit www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/contact/af/contact-us
Former owners of La Belle Boutique have been approached for a comment regarding these allegations and asked for an update on the situation.