“Rip off” Kids Party in the Park still under investigation - as anger from customers rumbles on from botched Southsea event

As reported last month, the owner of the company behind Kids Party in the Park, Jaysie Braithwaite, shut down one of her businesses amid customer demands for their cash back following the £80-ticket event at Castle Field, Southsea, in May.

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The Portsmouth entertainment business owner, who runs Southcoast Ents Ltd and Jaysie Louise & Companies, dissolved the latter firm. According to Companies House it was closed down on June 27.

People were left outraged after forking out for the Kids Party in the Park event but were left stunned when a host of the advertised attractions failed to show. The event was branded “disgusting” by parents and nothing more than an “empty field with small stage”.

Bitter customers called for a refund of their cash after they were enraged not to see an outdoor cinema, bar, foam party, Hey Duggee, two stages, a magician, Sonic, inflatables, a toddler area, Paw patrol characters, Buzz and Rex, and Anna and Elsa. The fallout from the event also included a children’s singing group called Lyrics being booted off stage.

Portsmouth City Council previously confirmed Trading Standards was investigating the company and said help is available to those seeking compensation. Now, giving an update on the probe, a council spokeswoman said: “The investigation is still ongoing, Trading Standards would welcome reports from members of the public that attended.”

Anger from the event is still being felt with people hitting out at the firm on the Jaysie Louise and Companies Facebook page weeks after the May show. One said: “Complete rip off. Don’t be tricked by this person or any company associated with her. Rips people off, deletes comments, ignores requests for refunds. Complete shambles of a business.”

Another person said: “Doing families out of their hard earned money.”

Meanwhile, as reported, Eastbourne’s Kids Party in the Park on August 2 was cancelled by Eastbourne Borough Council in June due to “safety concerns” which the company failed to respond to.

“We raised a number of concerns about the proposed event directly with the organisers in recent weeks, which were not responded to so have therefore informed Southcoast Ents Ltd that the event licence has been refused and has instructed it to promptly refund all tickets in full and to withdraw tickets from sale to prevent any further bookings,” the council said in a statement.

A Portsmouth City Council spokeswoman previously said: “The council's trading standards team is investigating and considering what action may be appropriate. We are working closely with Citizens Advice.

“Residents who believe a complaint has not been satisfactorily dealt with by the event organisers should contact Citizens Advice (CA) in the first instance. The CA consumer service is on 0808 223 1133 or see www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer.”

Ms Braithwaite previously told The News: “I understand why people are angry and upset and we will deal with it in the correct way.”

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