FURIOUS families have hit out after a farcical adaptation of Disney blockbuster Frozen left their children in tears.

And dozens of them are demanding full refunds and apologies following the Christmas calamity at Kelso last Tuesday.

An estimated 700 children, parents and grandparents packed into Springwood Showground hall to relive the Disney classic.

They were promised a fully dressed-out venue with a Christmas forest and snow as well as the main characters from the blockbuster movie as the magic of Arendelle was brought to life.

Instead the excited children - many dressed up as the characters - were left devastated. A few old Christmas trees, an old theatre castle backdrop and some cut-outs of Frozen protagonists were all that greeted families on their arrival.

Parents were forced to leave their children - some as young as two - on a crowded-out dancefloor where they endured a wait of around 45 minutes.

And, according to many, the eventual 10-minute stage performance of two of the film’s hits was terrible. Kaylee Tyson from Jedburgh bought £35 worth of tickets as a birthday treat for her five-year-old son. She said: “It was horrendous. I actually felt the need to apologise to my son once we left!

“The amount of people in that building was ridiculous, and they are ever so lucky there wasn’t an accident of any sort! We resorted to walking out after just an hour.” Local entertainments company Def Con 4 were behind the Showground shambles. On top of the £10 child’s ticket and a fiver for adults, they also charged an additional £5 for photos with their Anna and Elsa actresses.

Melrose grandmother Wendy Finlayson added: “No organisation, totally unprofessional chaos. No fantastic winter wonderland decorations as promised, far less Arendelle recreated! Also no games, no prizes, no safety, no cupcakes, and no peace of mind. My youngest grandchild was not even allowed out of her buggy for her own safety. A severe disappointment and expensive afternoon.” Dozens of furious parents demanded refunds as the promised party descended into chaos.

But organisers claimed to have run out of cash at the venue - and many parents were told to contact ticket agency borderevents.

A spokesman for the Selkirk-based publishers and ticket agency was quick to distance themselves from Def Con 4. A statement said: “As with other ticket outlets, borderevents sells tickets on behalf of event organisers in good faith.

“We are aware that some people were unhappy with the event at Springwood Park today organised by Def Con 4 Entertainments.

“borderevents sold tickets for this event along with four other outlets and we are extremely disappointed on your behalf. We are currently seeking advice.” We made several attempts to contact Def Con 4, who are based in Kelso and Galashiels, but our calls and emails weren’t returned.

And by the start of this week they had taken down all reference to their Frozen party from their web and social media sites.

Ashley Hill from Hawick was amongst the many who contacted the Border Telegraph. She said: “I was at the Frozen party at Kelso and, as you already know, it was a shambles. Health and safety would have had a field day in there.” Another angry mum, Shelley Scott, also feared for her daughter’s safety. She said: “It was total chaos - I was scared to take my eyes off my two-year-old girl who could easily have been hurt amongst all the pushing. It was definitely a safety issue having as many people packed in, especially when children are involved.” Chelsea Cairns from Hawick also slammed the organisers. She told us: “These people have just used a well known and popular thing with parents and children to scam people and make themselves money. They should be deeply ashamed of themselves - so many children were really looking forward to this. What a way to end the year!” Trading Standards have yet to receive any complaints about the event. A Scottish Borders Council spokesperson said: “To date we have not received any complaints in relation to this event.

“If we receive complaints regarding an event which relate to our statutory responsibilities they will be investigated in due course and appropriate action taken.”