Mum's shock at sudden closure of Blackpool pram shop

James Andrew Prams and Nurseries at Squires Gate Lane is all shuttered up, with calls to the phone number advertised on the store frontage and elsewhere greeted with the automated reply “This person’s mailbox is full – you cannot leave a message.”

The company’s website, which promotes it as “Blackpool’s only independent baby travel and nursery furniture shop” and “experts in all things baby”, is still active but a Google search for the store says it is ‘permanently closed” and the company no longer has a social media presence.

Abbie and Craig Robinson, who live nearby in Albany Avenue, South Shore, fear they have lost almost £400 paid up front in instalments for a travel system and carry cot ordered in good time for the arrival of their son, due three days before Christmas.

The travel system, specially selected to fit into Abbie’s Fiat 500 car, was due to be delivered before the end of November and Abbie paid the last instalment of the £387 cost on November 12 after receiving a reminder call from the store.

"We really can’t believe it – it’s appalling,” said Abbie, who says she knows of other similarly affected.

"It’s the only pram shop in Blackpool and Fylde and I chose it because I wanted a travel system which would fit in my car and was worried about ordering on line.

"I paid the first instalment in July, with the last one due midway through November and I actually got a call from the manager reminding me.

"I went in and paid it and it was all arranged for it to be delivered by the end of November, the standard four weeks before due date, which is December 22.

"I was wondering where the delivery was when I went on line and saw several mentions of the company by people who had been struggling to contact them and worried about their money.

"We tried to get through and went round but it’s all shuttered up.

"We’re really worried about our money and in touch with our bank to see what can be done.

"We have a four-year-old daughter but there’s no pram of her’s to use any more – we are back to square one without a pram and really worried about the money.”

James Andrew Prams and Nurseries says in its website profile: “We are dedicated to offering you a first-class service. We have a wide range of nursery furniture and travel systems for you to choose from.

“In our immersive Blackpool store, we offer wide aisles to test our prams, spacious car parks to try out our travel systems and fully assembled nursery sets so you can see how the cot bed would look like at home!

"Our store also offers a small selection of pram and travel accessories for your baby. Many of our customers travel from towns in the north west including Morecambe, Preston, Southport and the Lake District.

“Our friendly expert staff are always on hand to help, so for any questions you may have come and speak to our baby experts.”

No-one from James Andrew Prams and Nurseries was available for comment.