HEARTBROKEN brides today spoke of their misery after a Huddersfield wedding shop closed owing thousands of pounds in dress deposits.

Customers of the former Ivory Room bridal shop - which shut without warning in December - claimed they had been tricked and deceived into paying for wedding gowns after it emerged their dream dresses had never been ordered, despite paying half the full price as a deposit.

Marie Stewart, 24, of Wood Lane, Newsome, claimed she lost £400 in October when she ordered her wedding dress at the shop on John William Street, Huddersfield.

She said: "The woman in the shop did all my measurements and all this time I presumed it was being made.

"I am really annoyed because she never said a word. She obviously knew she was taking my money and wouldn't be able to fulfil the promise.

"Thankfully my wedding isn't until August, but I have got to start from square one again now."

The first she knew of the closure was when she received a letter from the shop last week.

She said: "It said I would be able to get my dress from another supplier, but when I rang, it hadn't even been ordered. She had just taken my money and not ordered it."

Her hopes are now pinned on recovering the £400 she paid on Visa through her credit card company.

But mother-of-two Diane Devlin, 22, was not so lucky after being left £130 out of pocket and without a wedding dress.

Miss Devlin, of Fair Street, Lockwood, bought her dress in the sale and paid her deposit, but when she contacted the store to arrange collection she was told she would be receiving a phonecall.

After hearing nothing she decided to postpone her December wedding.

She said: "The day before I was supposed to be getting married she called to ask if I could get my dress and pay the full balance because the shop was getting refurbished and she wasn't insured against the work.

"It was days before Christmas and I didn't have the money. I am not bothered about the money but the dress was lovely.

"But if it comes to buying another dress I don't think we will be able to."

Mother-of-the-bride Carol Hay, of Fenay Bridge, was relieved her daughter Louise, 24, had decided against ordering a gown from the shop.

She said: "I feel lucky because when we were there in September she was trying to scare us into putting a deposit down telling us it would take 10 months to get the dress."

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Trading Standards confirmed an officer had been sent to investigate the shop premises but had been unable to uncover any clues as to why the shop had ceased trading.

If you have been affected by the closure of Ivory Room please contact the Examiner on 01484 437767.