Family hit by firm's collapse

A NAILSEA family is facing a bleak Christmas after losing thousands of pounds in vouchers and food after a festive hamper company ceased trading.Jackie Butterworth, her sister Theresa and their mum Janet Noad were expecting £2,500 of vouchers and hampers after paying into the Farepak festive hamper scheme all year.Mrs Butterworth, a district nurse, had been paying in an average of around £150 per month since January and was expecting over £1,000 in vouchers and a festive hamper.But now she will receive nothing and says she will have no choice but to 'scale down' Christmas festivities this year.Mrs Butterworth, of Queens Road, said: "We work hard and save all year so we can enjoy Christmas. We are gutted this has happened and will have to scale down our Christmas this year."The older children in the family understand more, but how do you tell two four-year-olds that Santa won't be coming this year?"Mrs Butterworth said since the news of Farepak's collapse broke her mum, a 67-year-old widow, has been in tears.She added: "My mum, who is on a limited income, has been saving £15 a week all year towards Christmas and was expecting £600 in vouchers and a hamper."This has really upset her and she has been in tears. My sister was also expecting around £1,000 in vouchers for Christmas."It is different for me as I can work some extra hours to get some more money towards presents, but mum has no way of replacing that money."Mrs Butterworth, who has used saving schemes for the last 15 years, said she and her family would be putting in a claim against Farepak to try and recoup some of the money."Farepak, which is owned by European Home Retail, has been trading since 1969.It said in a statement this week it was 'unable to honour its commitments to make deliveries of any vouchers, hampers or other items' to its tens of thousands of customers.BDO Stoy Hayward has now been appointed administrator of the Swindon based firm.