Weymouth SandWorld at Lodmoor Country Park closed

SandWorld operators say they were "devastated" upon arriving at the Lodmoor Country Park attraction yesterday to find they were locked out, with a solicitors' notice on the gate on behalf of landlords LeisureRanch Limited, which runs the go-kart attraction next door.

The popular attraction has been running for around a decade, linked to Weymouth's famous beachside sand gallery, and attracts thousands of tourists every year.

Mark Anderson, the artist behind the popular attraction, is the grandson of Weymouth much-loved sand sculptor Fred Darrington, who took up the unique craft just after the First World War in the early 1920s. Mr Darrington passed away in 2002 at the age of 91, but Mark has continued following in his footsteps and co-founded SandWorld.

According to a spokesman, SandWorld is not in financial difficulty, however the fate of the attraction "now rests in the hands of the landlord".

Sculpture at Weymouth SandWorld

The business employs around a dozen members of staff. Due to being locked out, management are now unable to access the telephone or emails to contact people who have booked to visit. Those who have already purchased tickets are being offered a refund.

A notice on the gate from Pengillys solicitors in Weymouth dated September 22 reads: "Re Lease and Occupancy by Sand Sculptures Limited.

"Take notice that Leisureranch Limited have today re-entered land at Lodmoor. As a consequence of the re-entry, the premises have been secured for Leisureranch Limited.

"Any attempt to re-enter the premises without the landlord's authority may be a criminal offence and result in prosecution."

• Read more: SandWorld proves to be a major attraction

The Echo has contacted Leisureranch and Pengillys solicitors for comment.

Bosses were met by a legal notice attached to the front gates of SandWorld

One group of holidaymakers, upon arriving at the attraction during yesterday's wet weather, were surprised to find the gates padlocked.

"We're very disappointed," said Helen Pugh of Worcester, part of group of five who are visiting from Worcester and currently staying at Weymouth's Waterside Holiday Park.

"We had purchased tickets costing a total of £36 - there was nothing on the Sandworld website to say they were closed. As it's raining, we were hoping to visit because there aren't many indoor attractions in Weymouth. I'm hoping they're going to give us a refund."

Holidaymakers were disappointed to find the gate padlocked Picture: Ellie Maslin

SandWorld has apologised for the error and updated its website shortly afterwards to inform potential visitors of the closure, with tickets no longer available.

A message informing people of the closure had been posted on the SandWorld Facebook page since yesterday morning.

• Read more: ‘Pathetic’ vandals damage popular beach attraction

In a statement sent to the Echo yesterday, Dave Hicks, business partner of SandWorld, said: "We can’t say too much at the moment for legal reasons but we are very sorry that our visitors have been left disappointed and out of pocket today, we were taken by surprise but online ticketing has been turned off now.

SandWorld sculpture commemorating 2022 as the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun Picture: SandWorld

"Anyone who has bought tickets online and not used them yet can get a full refund if they contact us by calling, messaging or emailing us directly.

"We are not in financial trouble, just unable to open the gates right now. We are hopeful that the matter can be resolved and we can reopen for the last few weeks of the season, and again next year, but right now our fate is in the hands of our landlord. We are devastated and thank everyone for their kind messages of support."

• People who have purchased tickets are being advised to contact Angelika on 07999321490 or angelikaatsandworld@gmail.com with the order number and email address used to book for a full refund.