Angry customers descended on a furniture store in Milnsbridge on Saturday in a bid to retrieve thousands of pounds worth of goods they say they’d paid for.
Customers from as far afield as Cambridge, Wales and Salisbury arrived at Furniture by Stan at Holme Mill in Britannia Road hoping to pick up goods they had paid for as long ago as May.
But a tense stand-off ensued when staff refused to allow customers to take anything away. One customer dialled 999 and two armed police officers arrived to keep order. They explained they were armed as no other officers were available at the time.
Michelle Wong, a 46-year-old business development manager from Sheffield, told the Examiner she had paid in full for a table and four chairs costing more than £600.
She was told delivery would take place within 14 weeks but nothing materialised and she became suspicious.
She said: “I heard other branches were closing and they advertised a big sale this weekend so I thought my partner and I had better turn up.
“I phoned 999 and when police arrived we were told to leave.
“Apparently there’s a new landlord arriving and we might be able to get our stuff but there’s no guarantees. People work hard to afford things.”
Another customer, a property developer called Andy from Cambridgeshire, said he had paid a deposit of over £1,000.
“I decided to come up and see what was happening,” he said. “It’s been over seven months now and I am still waiting.”
Bradford-based property developer Simmy Sekhon, who bought the mill premises on September 27, also turned up and said he wanted to help find a solution.
He told the customers: “I am a man of the people. I didn’t buy this building to get involved in this but I will do what I can to help.”
Staff placed a sign on the door saying ‘closed for today’ as Mr Sekhon attempted to enter the premises.
No-one from the store would comment.
