VICTIMS of the Lapland attraction today welcomed the jailing of the two brothers behind the fiasco.

The men who conned thousands of customers into visiting what they claimed was a Lapland-style theme park were both jailed for 13 months.

Victor Mears, 67, and Henry Mears, 60, offered visitors a winter wonderland with snow-covered log cabins, a nativity scene, husky dogs, polar bears and other animals, as well as a bustling Christmas market.

Instead, disappointed families found a muddy field, a broken ice rink and fairy lights hung from trees.

Within days of the Lapland New Forest attraction opening in November 2008, hundreds of disgruntled visitors complained to trading standards officials that they had been ripped off.

Less than a week later, the attraction closed, with the brothers blaming the media and sabotage by "New Forest villains" for the decision.

Dorset Trading Standards prosecuted the brothers under consumer protection laws.

Victor, of Selsfield Drive, and Henry, of Coombe Road, both Brighton, denied eight charges of misleading advertising but they were found guilty in February on all counts at Bristol Crown Court.

With visitors charged £30 a ticket and up to 10,000 advance bookings online, the Mears brothers were set to gross £1.2 million.

Their eye-catching website offered a 'snow-covered village' with a 'magical tunnel of light', 'beautiful snow-covered log cabin', a 'bustling Christmas market', 'wonderful ice rink' and 'delicious hot and cold seasonal food'.

The website stated: "The attention to detail of our theme park will truly wow you."

Hundreds of people travelled from as far as west Wales, the Midlands and the south east of England to visit the 'attraction' at Matchams Leisure Park, near Ringwood..

But prosecutor Malcolm Gibney said: "The only feeling of 'wow' that many of the consumers felt was 'wow, what a con'."

Jailing the pair, Judge Mark Horton said the Mears brothers had promised a winter wonderland but delivered a "con and a rip-off" - likening the theme park to a car boot sale.

He told the pair: "You promised customers in your advertising an amazing snow-covered Lapland village which was - in your own wonderful words - 'Where dreams really do come true' and 'Where we have prided ourselves on attention to detail'.

"What you actually provided was something that looked like an averagely-managed summer car boot sale.

Both were also disqualified from being company directors for five years.

The brothers showed no expression on their faces as they were led away from the dock to begin their sentences.

Eddie Teague, from Dorchester, who lost £275 after buying tickets for his grandchildren said the pair should have been jailed for much longer.

He said: "They will be out in a few months and that is not enough for the misery they caused and all he money that went missing."

Mr Teague, 64, added: "We queued for hours in the cold, spent a fortune on food and my granddaughter cried after seeing Father Christmas because she was so disappointed by him.

"It is scandalous that they can’t find any of the money."